France wants to expand business beyond €2.4 billion with Bangladesh

A French trade show begins in Dhaka on Friday as Paris wants its trade and business with Bangladesh to cross the current €2.4 billion mark.

“We want to expand our business relations,” France ambassador Sophie Aubert said at a press briefing on Wednesday, ahead of the two-day show.

The two-way trade between France and Bangladesh was €2.423 billion last year, over 30 percent up from the previous year.

“Our companies signed important contracts in the last two years,” she said, referring to Thalès for the Bangladesh’s first satellite project and Oberthur for the smart ID cards.

She said the trade show in which at least 16 French companies will take part would create “more business opportunities for both”.

She also said French companies such as Sanofi and Technip came to Bangladesh even before the birth of the country.

The France Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIFB) will organise the show at the La Meridian Hotel, marking the 20th anniversary of the bilateral chamber.

It is the first European bilateral chamber set up in Bangladesh.

During the expo, the Chamber will also sign a MoU with the ‘Business France’ based in India, which is the French public operator in charge of supporting French companies abroad and foreign companies in France on business opportunities.

Bangladesh’s exports to France, mostly clothes, have been increased by 25.1 percent to reach €2.1billion last year.

The French exports to Bangladesh are driven by electric and electronic goods, hardware. They also sell chemicals, perfumes and cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and agro-food products to Bangladesh.

The ambassador insisted that French companies can add value to the business with its high technology.

She said both countries can work together for mutual benefits “because we always try to include transfer of technology when doing business”.

“Green, safe environment-friendly high technologies help a lot for a sustainable development,” she said.

“The French agency for development is committed in Bangladesh with an amount accounting for €360 million, and its private branch Proparco is committed here with an amount accounting for almost €100 million in project which all have a green dimension or a social dimension,” she said.