TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Representative to France Hao Pei-chih (郝培芝) said bilateral trade with France is rising amid geopolitical shifts, with both countries strengthening cooperation in the tech sector.
The International Trade Administration said annual trade between Taiwan and France has exceeded NT$180 billion (US$6 billion) since 2023, reaching NT$191.4 billion last year. France has become Taiwan’s third-largest trading partner in Europe, per CNA.
According to the administration, Taiwan mainly exports integrated circuits, computers, and telecom equipment to France, while France exports aircraft, integrated circuits, and pharmaceuticals to Taiwan. Hao said the two countries’ trade structures are complementary, and some companies have launched joint projects.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have strengthened industrial resilience and sought deeper industrial cooperation. Coupled with challenges from the Russia-Ukraine war, this has prompted nations to enhance strategic security, Hao said.
Earlier this month, ProLogium Technology began building a high-performance battery factory in France’s Dunkerque, marking its first production facility outside Taiwan. CEO Vincent Yang (楊思枬) said the factory will integrate equipment setup, production processes, and quality control to produce safer next-generation batteries.
In May 2025, Foxconn said it will set up a semiconductor packaging and testing facility in partnership with France’s Thales and Radiall, serving the automotive, aerospace, mobile communications, and defense sectors.
Some companies in Taiwan have also collaborated with French firms in the drone sector. In January, Lung Hwa Electronics signed a cooperation agreement with France’s I-SEE Group, a drone systems supplier, to jointly design, validate, and produce drone platforms and antenna technologies. As part of plans to expand into Europe’s drone industry, the two companies will establish a new company in Taiwan.
Thunder Tiger has also partnered with French UAV maker Parrot to develop the Striker, a fixed-wing drone with a 2-meter wingspan. It features infrared imaging and an automatic flight control system, making it suitable for attack and defense missions.
Hao said Taiwan has strong advantages in semiconductor and ICT R&D and manufacturing, giving it significant potential in the drone supply chain market.
Leon Wu (吳嘯吟), an official at the Taipei Representative Office in France, said Taiwan and France have also strengthened partnerships in silicon photonics technology, which uses light to transmit data on chips and is critical for next-generation semiconductor applications.
Wu said the Industrial Technology Investment Corp., supported by the Industrial Technology Research Institute, has provided funding for France’s Scintil Photonics to advance silicon photonics development.
