Collectivities
Commerce. Increases in exports by 4.6%, lower than imports by 5.7%, the still positive balance of 11.6% of the international trade exchanges of the Grand Est region. In this regional ensemble, the department of Marne displays its best score in ten years.
Published on March 20, 2026 By Gérard Delenclos
With a particularly dynamic fourth quarter, contributing alone to a positive trade balance of €2.147 billion, the year 2025 proves to be quite good for the foreign trade of the Grand Est. Exports (€70.8 billion), higher than imports (€67.1 billion), result in an annual positive trade balance of €3.661 billion. Over the past year, exports have increased by 4.6% and imports by 5.7%. As a direct consequence, the trade balance (€4.142 billion in 2024) decreased by 11.6%. Historically, in the past ten years, the best balances of the international trade of the Grand Est were in 2018 (+€6.132 billion) and 2021 (+€5.793 billion).
A positive balance of over €5 billion for the agri-food industry
The Grand Est is the second largest exporting region, with over €71 billion, behind Île-de-France (€147 billion) and ahead of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (€70 billion), Hauts-de-France (€69 billion), and Occitanie (€53 billion). The Grand Est (€67 billion) is the fourth largest importing region behind Île-de-France (€186 billion), Hauts-de-France (€89 billion), and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (€78 billion). In 2025, the region retains its second place in terms of the three positive trade balances, behind Occitanie (+€14 billion) and ahead of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (+€1 billion). The other regions show negative balances, especially Île-de-France (-€39 billion), Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (-€21 billion), and Hauts-de-France (-€20 billion). The Grand Est accounts for 12% of French exports and 9.7% of imports.
In terms of exports, the €70.811 billion realized by the region consist mainly of €1.957 billion for agricultural, forestry, and fishery products, €67.814 billion for manufactured products, including agri-food industry (€9.668 billion), mechanical equipment, electrical, electronic, and computer equipment (€15.517 billion), transport equipment (€9.366 billion), and pharmaceutical products (€9.718 billion). The 2025 trade balance, positive by €3.661 billion, includes gains like the €5.147 billion for agri-food, €1.421 billion for industrial and agricultural machinery, or €1.356 billion for agricultural products, as well as losses like €1.629 billion for textiles, clothing, and shoes, €838 million from the automotive industry, or €673 million from metallurgical and metallic products.
Pharmaceutical products at the forefront of international trade
Pharmaceutical products (€9.178 billion and nearly 14% of the total) clearly dominate the ranking of Grand Est exports, followed by general-purpose machinery and equipment (€6.327 billion), beverages (€5.566 billion), mainly Champagne, products for the automotive construction (€4.410 billion), basic chemicals, nitrogen products, plastics, and rubber materials (€3.694 billion), electrical equipment (€3.606 billion), automotive equipment (€3.519 billion), and steel primary and steel transformation products (€2.228 billion).
With €9.759 billion and almost 15% of imports, pharmaceutical products are also at the forefront of Grand Est imports, ahead of general-purpose machinery and equipment (€5.517 billion), products for automotive construction (€5.327 billion), basic chemicals, nitrogen products, plastics, and rubber materials (€3.997 billion), automotive equipment (€3.340 billion), and electrical equipment (€3.358 billion). In terms of trade balance, it is negative by €41 million for pharmaceutical products, negative by €917 million for automotive construction products, by €303 million for basic chemicals, nitrogen products, plastics, and rubber materials. It is positive by €810 million for general-purpose machinery and equipment, by €246 million for electrical equipment, and by €79 million for automotive equipment.
Beverages, including Champagne, cover over 166% of the positive balance
With €5.566 billion in exports and €503 million in imports, beverages (8% of exports) cover over 166% of the positive balance (€3.361 billion) of the Grand Est international trade. Champagne (€3.687 billion) accounts for more than 66% of the total regional beverage exports and almost 110% of the total balance of the region’s exchanges. Other positive balances in the Grand Est include products from agriculture and livestock (+€1.292 billion), general-purpose machinery and equipment (+€810 million), various specific use machinery (+€579 million), and measuring devices and timepieces (+€463 million).
Recovery in exports to Germany
Exports to Germany, the main client of the Grand Est (€18.000 billion and 25% of regional exports), increased by nearly 14% in one year and returned to their 2023 value. The United States, the second export destination (nearly €5.000 billion), is also in decline (-1.4%). Italy, in the second position in 2023, now ranks fifth (€4.649 billion) with a decrease of 4%. Belgium (€4.842 billion) is the third export destination of the region in 2025, increasing by 3% over the year. In terms of trade balance, the region’s exchanges are positive with Germany (+€1.179 billion), with the United States (almost €1.400 billion), with Belgium (+€392 million), with the United Kingdom (+€3.380 billion), a score largely attributed to Champagne exports. These exchanges are also positive with Spain (+€1.790 billion) and the Netherlands (+€1.092 billion). They are negative with Italy (-€2.857 billion) and China (-€3.623 billion).
The best Marne balance in the past 10 years
Exports from Marne for 2025 (€7.921 billion) decreased by 2.2%, while imports (€4.961 billion) decreased by 11.6%. This combination of a 5 times larger decrease in imports than in exports results in a commercial trade balance of + €2.960 billion, a record for the past ten years. Marne thus covers 81% of the positive balance of the Grand Est. For the other departments in the Champagne territory, commercial trade balances are naturally more modest: + €725 million for Ardennes, + €115 million for Haute-Marne, and + €3 million for Aube. In summary, for the 2025 international trade balance, Bas-Rhin covers 38% of exports and 41% of imports in the Grand Est, Haut-Rhin 17% of exports and 20.6% of imports. Moselle, the third largest exporting department, accounts for 16% of exports and 15% of imports. Marne, the fourth largest exporting department, represents 11.2% of exports, 7.4% of imports in the Grand Est and 81% of the regional balance of exchanges, far ahead of the 39% from Moselle or the 20% from Ardennes. Three departments in the Grand Est show negative balances: Haut-Rhin (-€1.717 billion), Meurthe-et-Moselle (-€475 million), and Bas-Rhin (-€397 million).
