the French support but without buying

The made in France show, which opens in Paris this Thursday, November 6, 2025 for four days, has enjoyed growing success since its creation in 2012. “We went from 78 to more than 1,000 exhibitors, and from 15,000 to 110,000 visitors,” says its president, Fabienne Delahaye. The French have understood that made in France rhymes with preserving jobs, know-how, the environment and sovereignty.”

At the same time, however, alarming signals for French industry are multiplying. According to the State industrial barometer published on October 30, 2025, 38 factories disappeared in France in the first half of 2025, in net balance (openings minus closures). The year 2024 was also negative, with five fewer net factories, after two encouraging years: creation of 59 factories in 2023, 49 in 2022. As for the share of industry in the national GDP, in 2025 it fell below the symbolic bar of 10% (to 9.4%, according to the Rexecode institute).

How to explain this paradox? Since a good example is worth all the explanations in the world, let’s take that of Intuis, a French company which manufactures heat pumps and radiators in France. It faces competition from Chinese manufacturers subsidized by their state. “30% of the cost price of their production is explained by this public aid,” explains Philippe Dénecé, general manager of Intuis. With us, it’s 0%! European rules prohibit direct aid to manufacturers.”

Competition seems even more unfair when we look at customs duties: “A Chinese radiator arriving in France will be taxed between 5 and 10%. When I export my radiator for 70 euros to China, it is sold for 450 euros, because of huge customs duties.” Unlike France, but like many other countries, China protects and massively subsidizes its industry. And there is little concern for health, salary and social standards, which are more numerous in France than elsewhere.

This is why tricolor products are very often more expensive than their competitors and end up being abandoned by the French. Because if more and more of them say they are ready to buy French, they do so, in reality, less and less. According to INSEE, 36% of the manufactured products they purchased in 2019 were French, compared to 82% in 1965. A share which continues to decline.

Very expensive decline

“We are astonishingly naive when it comes to protecting our industry,” laments Philippe Dénecé. France does not even provide national preference for its public orders. Only 25% of them concern French products.”

The leader says he discussed it in 2024 with the Minister of the Economy at the time, Bruno Le Maire. He had promised to make public renovation aid conditional on compliance with environmental standards, which would favor French heat pumps.

But the measure is still awaited. “The ministry decided to assess whether this contravened competition rules and has still not given its answer,” sighs Philippe Dénecé. The administration must stop over-controlling French industry.”

Its decline ends up impoverishing the country. “Industry produces wealth and jobs. Three times more for a French product than for an imported competing product,” explains Fabienne Delahaye. “Buying French also finances our social protection and our pensions, since social contributions are largely paid by companies,” remarks Philippe Dénecé. This is not a detail, at a time when the public debt is exploding.

So, what to do? For Fabienne Delahaye, safeguarding made in France will have to go through protectionism. “I am optimistic. Because in 2012, it was still a dirty word. We debate it more willingly today.”