France Country Commercial Guide
Learn about the market conditions, opportunities, regulations, and business conditions in france, prepared by at U.S. Embassies worldwide by Commerce Department, State Department and other U.S. agencies’ professionals
Market Entry Strategy
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In general, the commercial environment in France is favorable for the sales of U.S. goods and services.  Marketing products and services in France is like the approach in the United States, notwithstanding some significant cultural differences and specific legal and regulatory restrictions.  While French buyers can be receptive to new and innovative products, there is a tendency to stick with known local suppliers.  Competition can be fierce but local partners are readily available in most sectors and product lines.  U.S. companies should be prepared to invest marketing resources in launching a new brand or product in France.

Like in many other European countries, traditional distribution channels are being disrupted by new players in the digital and sharing economy.  Many U.S. firms are doing well in this space, as well as a growing number of local competitors.

In addition to this Country Commercial Guide, the U.S. Commercial Service office in Paris offers many services and customized solutions designed to assist you in developing your market entry strategy and facilitate your exports to France.  For a detailed description of these services, please visit the U.S. Commercial Service France Web Site. 

Contact:  U.S. Embassy - U.S. Commercial Service Commercial Specialist:

Office.Paris@trade.gov - Tel: +33 (0)1 43 12 70 96

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Global Business Navigator Chatbot Beta

Welcome to the Global Business Navigator, an artificial intelligence (AI) Chatbot from the International Trade Administration (ITA). This tool, currently in beta version testing, is designed to provide general information on the exporting process and the resources available to assist new and experienced U.S. exporters. The Chatbot, developed using Microsoft’s Azure AI services, is trained on ITA’s export-related content and aims to quickly get users the information they need. The Chatbot is intended to make the benefits of exporting more accessible by understanding non-expert language, idiomatic expressions, and foreign languages.

Limitations

As a beta product, the Chatbot is currently being tested and its responses may occasionally produce inaccurate or incomplete information. The Chatbot is trained to decline out of scope or inappropriate requests. The Chatbot’s knowledge is limited to the public information on the Export Solutions web pages of Trade.gov, which covers a wide range of topics on exporting. While it cannot provide responses specific to a company’s product or a specific foreign market, its reference pages will guide you to other relevant government resources and market research. Always double-check the Chatbot’s responses using the provided references or by visiting the Export Solutions web pages on Trade.gov. Do not use its responses as legal or professional advice. Inaccurate advice from the Chatbot would not be a defense to violating any export rules or regulations.

Privacy

The Chatbot does not collect information about users and does not use the contents of users’ chat history to learn new information. All feedback is anonymous. Please do not enter personally identifiable information (PII), sensitive, or proprietary information into the Chatbot. Your conversations will not be connected to other interactions or accounts with ITA. Conversations with the Chatbot may be reviewed to help ITA improve the tool and address harmful, illegal, or otherwise inappropriate questions.

Translation

The Chatbot supports a wide range of languages. Because the Chatbot is trained in English and responses are translated, you should verify the translation. For example, the Chatbot may have difficulty with acronyms, abbreviations, and nuances in a language other than English.

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