France, located in Western Europe, has the sixth nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or eight largest economy in the world. It is also the most visited country, receiving over 79 million foreign tourists annually. It is one of the founding members of some communities like the European Union. Moreover among the current EU states the country has the largest land.  According to the OECD (The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) France was the world’s fourth largest importer of manufactured goods. And one of its importing products is tuna.

Over 2007 France imported got 5% tuna volume compared to the previous year,  it dropped from 133.849 M/T to 127.034 M/T.  Canned tuna was the major item accounting for 70% of the entire tuna volume, the second was frozen pre-cooked tuna loins with 8% share and a much smaller share had fresh whole round tuna and frozen whole round . Raw tuna loins was the least popular item in terms of imported tonnage. It must be remarked that France has its own tuna fleet in the Indian Ocean - so any tuna caught by this fleet and landed in France , does not show as imports. This does give a slightly confusing picture.

The quantity of canned tuna, the leading item, went down by 7% and landed at the level 100.516 M/T or 11.319.369 cartons (48x185g) in 2007. The French canned tuna market remains to be dominated by fourcountries: Ivory Coast, Spain, Seychelles and Madagascar. And all these nations have zero import duty into the EU for the last decades - recently this preference was extended again through the signing of an EPA agreement.  

Ivory Coast as the principal source of the French canned product even increased its supply by 18% to 3.022.410 units through last year when the rest three other large  exporters saw their deliveries shrink  visibl. Spain provided 19% less item, Seychelles 7% and the delivery from Madagascar fell by 30%.

Considering the average price per case of canned tuna, France paid US $ 35,48 in 2007 which was a hefty 25% more than during the previous year. Out of the 4 largest exporters the best prices came from Madagascar. They invoiced their avarega carton of canned tuan at a cost of US $ 21,75, which is 16% less than the average French value. Ivory Coast was the second in terms of the average price which equaled US $ 29,75 per unit, 10% less than US $ 35,48.

For canned tuna from Seychelles and Spain,  France paid quite some more than US $ 35,48, the Seychelles average price was US $ 40,63 when Spanish sold at US $ 40,20 per carton.

Generally the French canned tuna market belongs to product in brine which contribution was 82% of the total canned tuna quantity in 2007. Moreover the French domestic industry is focused on specific segments, such as tuna salad market.

The biggest tuna brands are: Petit Navire (owned by MW Brands), Saupiquet (owned by Bolton Group) and Pompon Rouge (owned by Peche et Froid). Private labels hold a 45% volume share in the retail tuna market.

The average French consumption of canned tuna is 1,92 kg per head annually, the fourth in the EU.

Imports of frozen pre-cooked tuna loins for the canning industry went up by 13% from 8.927 M/T to 10.075 M/T. Suprisingly Italy was the major source and was followed by Ghana. This might indicate that pasrt of these loins are imported in Italy and then transshipped to France.

Also France got 13% more fresh whole round tuna and 27% more raw loins.

Within the fresh segment yellowfin was the most important species with 6.876 M/T. When among frozen bluefin is the dominant species with 3.286 M/T,  followed by Yellowfin with 2.568 M/T.

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