INVESTORS IN MSK
France: the Czech Republic’s
Most Important Trading Partner
Without a Common Border
The French-Czech Chamber of Commerce is a member of an international network of
126 French Chambers of Commerce in ninety-six countries and has been an independent,
self-financing organisation for twenty-five years. It represents a business community of more
than 280 member companies in the Czech Republic which employ over 78,000 people and
have a turnover of over 16bn CZK.
Mr. Macko, could you please briefly
introduce the activities of the French-Czech Chamber of Commerce?
Is it involved in any specific projects
in the Moravian-Silesian Region?
The chamber focuses on several
key areas which include supporting
members’ businesses and creating new
business opportunities, informing and
raising the profile of members both
within the community and externally,
and
bringing
together
company
representatives through professional
clubs and other networking opportunities.
One of the chamber’s key roles is
supporting the entry of French companies
into the Czech market, whether through
investment, acquisition or the export of
goods and services.
These activities are carried out under
the ‘LeBooster’ brand and include market
studies and analysis, benchmarking,
recruitment, branch establishment and
accounting and tax administration.
The chamber helps an average of sixty
companies a year.
Currently, dozens of companies operate
in the Moravian-Silesian Region, such
as Veolia in the energy sector; battery
manufacturer Saft; Manutan, which
produces equipment for industrial
companies; and FEVE, which specialises in
industrial metallurgy.
In which areas are the trade relations
between the Czech Republic and France
most developed and intense? And
what sectors are the most promising
in the near future?
France is our largest trading partner
among countries with which the Czech
Republic does not share a border.
Mutual
trade
mainly
concerns
automobiles, electrical and electronic
equipment and, in the case of French
exports, mainly pharmaceutical and
chemical products. For the Czech
Republic, France is the fourth largest
customer and in recent years the sixth
largest supplier. For France, however,
the Czech Republic is only twentieth on
France’s consumer list and thirteenth on
the supplier list.
In terms of investment, excluding countries
with attractive tax regimes, France remains
the third largest investor, with a FDI volume
of €10.6bn in 2019, according to the Czech
National Bank. Prospective and growing
sectors of Czech-French trade are defence,
energy, IT, video games and everything
related to Industry 4.0.
Mr Macko, thank you for the interview.
POSITIV 2/2022 ǀ 43