Taiwan is one of France’s major business partners in Asia and one of its main suppliers, after Japan and China. European integration and economic growth have led Taiwan to diversify towards Europe, particularly Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Italy and France.

The main imports and exports between France and Taiwan are essentially concerned with transport equipment (nearly 40% of French exports) and electronics (nearly 60% of Taiwan’s exports to France, mainly computers; but also 25% of French exports to Taiwan). There are also good opportunities for French exporters in the agri-food products and consumer goods sectors in Taiwan.

Taiwan registered a trade surplus of 15.8 million USD in 2005. The island has been building up positive sales through trade for over 20 years, and has been able to raise its foreign currency reserves to 260 million USD in 2006.

Investments and industrial partnership play a less important role than business in Franco-Taiwanese economic relations. In spite of several promising examples of technological cooperation, Taiwanese investment in France remains limited.

Around 150 French companies have a presence in Taiwan, a number which has slightly increased over the past 5 years, employing nearly 24,000 people locally, mainly in the distribution (Carrefour, Auchan-RT Mart), environmental (Onyx TaHo, Swire Sita, Veolia Water) and banking sectors (BNP Paribas, Calyon, Société Générale).

Every year, an industrial cooperation consultation meeting (ICCM) is organised by the French and Taiwanese governments, held alternately in Paris and Taipei. This meeting is an important occasion for dialogue for French and Taiwanese companies: the subjects under discussion allow them to strengthen ties and facilitate the regulation of difficulties encountered by French companies in Taiwan. The 16th ICCM was held in Taipei on 14th May 2008.

Industrial relations expanded to cover the issues surrounding competition in 2004, as well as the field of intellectual property, through annual meetings between INPI (National Intellectual Property Institute) and the IPO (Intellectual Property Office) and through the signature of an agreement between the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) and the Competition Council.

In 2008, it was still judged that Taiwan needed to improve conformity to WTO regulations on public purchases and calls to tender (having still not signed the General Procurement Agreement) and on intellectual property (TRIPS).