France's trade deficit grew to 24.5 billion euros (32.3 billion dollars) in the first half of 2010 due to the flagging euro and high oil prices, the Economy Ministry said Friday, dpa reported
The deficit increased from 20 billion euros in the second half of 2009.
But the ministry pointed to an increase of ten per cent in exports of goods, particularly to China, to which exports had increased by 36 per cent in the first half, and Brazil, to which exports increased by 51 per cent.
Exports in the aviation and pharmaceutical industries were already higher than before the financial crisis