France Trade Deficit December 2007

France's trade deficit widened in 2007 to the biggest ever after oil prices and the euro climbed to records in the past year, the Trade Ministry said today.



The gap widened to a record 39.2 billion euros ($57.3 billion) from 2006's revised deficit of 28.2 billion euros, according to a ministry statement. The last annual trade surplus was 1.1 billion euros in 2003.


The December shortfall was 4.3 billion euros compared to a revised 4.6 billion euros in November. Exports fell to 33.1 billion euros from 33.2 billion the previous month as shipments to the Americas dropped to 2.8 billion euros from 3.1 billion euros. Imports were 37.4 billion euros, compared with 37.8 billion.

The Trade Ministry said Airbus SAS shipped 27 planes in December for 1.4 billion euros, up from 21 planes in November for 895 million euros.