Browse Data and Analysis

During Covid-19, the French government designated the retail sector as essential. Retail companies were authorized to continue operations. The nationwide lockdown and the closing of restaurants gave a significant boost to the retail sector.

With 91 million visitors in 2019, France is one of the world’s leading tourist destinations. Tourism accounted for 7.5 percent of GDP, providing employment to 1.5 million people. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the flow of visitors by almost 55 percent, triggering a loss of nearly 160,000 jobs. The Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional (HRI) sector saw a decrease in total sales revenue to $64 billion, a 30 percent decline from the previous year.

As a member of the European Union, France implements EU regulations for the import of animal and plant products. The US export certification requirements for most products are harmonized at the EU level; however, a few products, which are not yet harmonized across the EU, are still subject to French national regulations.

Post maintains the projections for 2021/22 and updates MY 2022/23 with an optimistic outlook on production resulting from good weather conditions and an improved labor situation.

Malaysia retail food and HRI sector is expected to grow by 7.8 percent in 2023. U.S. exporters will see excellent opportunities in the retail food and food processing sectors as the country’s economy rebounds strongly after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns.