Health & Fitness
Berets and Trade
The economics of investing in France have been examined before, but with the French President Francois Hollande visiting the United States this week, it seemed like an excellent opportunity to examine just how deep the economic ties are between these two nations. While the visit by President Hollande was partially a social visit, with the appropriate shows of pomp and circumstance (including attendance by Bradley Cooper who is fluent in French), there was also an economic component as well. The French economy is looking to revamp its economic policies to help restore competitiveness, especially when it comes to technological prowess. A key component of the economic portion of President Hollande’s visit is a courtship of Silicon Valley – as the center for technological innovation in the world, this is a natural area for exploration.
France and the United States share one of the largest bilateral trade relationships in the world, and one that grew at 12.8% during 2012 (figures for 2013 are still be finalized). France is the seventh largest investor in U.S. equity markets, as well as a leading investor in hard assets in the United States. Over 2,300 French firms are established in the U.S., which generates more than 650,000 jobs, and U.S. business in France have created over 440,000 jobs. France was also the second largest recipient of job-creating foreign investment from the U.S. and attracted 13% of all investments made in Europe. Airbus, Bassault, FedEx, Google, and Apple are just a few of the firms that have established long-term relationships across the Atlantic.
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