2024-02-06 08:41:45
“Dare to export!” », invites the government. An injunction which is accompanied by considerable financial support, recalled the Minister of the Economy this Tuesday, on the occasion of the tenth edition of the “Bercy France Export” conference. According to figures for public support for exports, revealed by Bruno Le Maire, France spent nearly 20 billion euros last year to support small and large businesses in their conquest of foreign markets.
The vast majority consist of export credit insurance contracts, which protect beneficiaries against non-payment of their contracts for various reasons (political crisis, climatic event, etc.). The State granted 19 billion euros last year. This is much less than the 30 billion euros recorded in 2022. But this absolute record was linked to exceptional military contracts.
Simplify the “French part”
“2023 is a very good vintage,” we assure Bercy. This is our second best historical performance. In 2021, we were at 17 billion in credit insurance, so we are still on a good growth trajectory. »
Amplifying this dynamic should make it possible to achieve the government objective of 150,000 exporting companies (there were 146,000 in the third quarter of 2023) and to finally raise the bar for French foreign trade, which still displays very mediocre performance compared to others. European countries. To achieve this, Bercy wants to simplify one of the essential conditions of its support: the “French share”, that is to say the requirement that projects supported by public funds include operations carried out in France or supply in the hexagon.
It’s not about being less demanding. The required proportions remain unchanged: 20% minimum “French share” for credit insurance, 50% for Treasury loans (to foreign governments to finance infrastructure projects) and 85% for Fasep donations (which finance studies and demonstrators). But on the one hand, foreign companies are now eligible for public support – if they use French subcontractors in the required proportions.
And above all, Bercy is raising the threshold defining SMEs-ETIs, from 150 to 300 million euros, which will allow a larger portion of companies to benefit from simplified “French share” declarations, as well as an increase. amounts covered (85% instead of 50% for large companies). After this first salvo of “simplification”, Bruno Le Maire assures that other measures will follow in 2024, to further digitize export aid and facilitate sovereign loans.
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