The trade deficit reaches 6,6 billion euros in July

"The growth of imports, which has exceeded that of exports since the beginning of the year, is still significantly weaker in recent months," said Customs in a statement.

Cumulatively over twelve rolling months, the trade deficit stands at a high level of nearly 68 billion euros, also say Customs.

In the first half of 2021, the deficit had widened to 34,8 billion euros, exports of goods amounting to 240,2 billion euros and imports to 275 billion.

In July 2021, exports increased slightly over the month and reached 96% of their average level of 2019, detail Customs, while imports returned to their average level of the same year.

"This return to normal of imports compared to the pre-crisis situation must however be put into perspective. It is, in part, due to the increase in the import prices of raw materials and industrial products observed since the beginning of the year ", explain the Customs.

The energy deficit was stable around 3 billion euros, "lower than before the crisis", with 3,7 billion euros on average in 2019.

Regarding capital goods, the deficit is 2,7 billion euros, much higher than before the health crisis.

The deficit of intermediate goods reached for its part 2 billion euros, evolving for five months at a historically high level, detail the Customs.

As for the balance of payments, which includes trade in services, the current account deficit stood at 3,5 billion euros in July after 0,9 billion in the previous month.

This is mainly due to the "deterioration of the deficit of non-energy goods of 2,9 billion euros while the deficit of energy goods remains stable at 2,9 billion," said the Bank of France.