Insee Focus for the month of March deciphers the economic sector of tableware including France, with 22% of European production, is the leading European producer ahead of Germany and Italy. The trade balance is nevertheless in deficit, except for glass tableware products.
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n 2019, the production of table items reaches 4,6 billion euros in the European Union. France accounts for 22% of this production, which places it in first position ahead of Germany and Italy. Sales of glass tableware dominate in the EU, with 45% of billings. This is mainly due to France, which accounts for nearly a third of European production and thus ranks first for these products.. France is also well present in the production of cutlery items, with 21% of European billings. France, on the other hand, is left behind by Germany for ceramic products., and particularly for porcelain items (for table or kitchen service) : Germany accounts for 45% of European billings, compared to 13% for France. France's share is similar for table linen (12 %), where Italy alone manufactures half of European production.
A production of almost a billion euros
In 2019, In France, the production of tableware items amounted to 990 million euros. Sales mainly come from glass, which represents 67% of production in value (29% for drinking glasses and 38% for other glass items). Sales of ceramic items amount to 17% (12% for porcelain and 5% for other ceramic items), followed by cutlery items (14 %) and table linen (3 %). Billings for crystal items amount to 111 million euros, i.e. 17% of all glass products and 11% of all tableware. The glass activity, which generates 660 million euros in billings, is the most concentrated : 90% of the branch's invoicing is carried out by five legal units. For table linen, six legal units cover 90% of the sector’s billings. In ceramics, 26 legal units produce 90% of the sector’s invoicing. The concentration is lowest in cutlery, where 90% of invoicing is carried out by 32 legal units in the branch.
A tradition from Hauts-de-France
The tableware industry employs 11,000 people. Nearly half of jobs are concentrated in Hauts-de-France, followed by the Grand Est (15 %) and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (10 %). Hauts-de-France, and more particularly the North and Pas-de-Calais, indeed have a tradition of working glass tableware articles, and in particular the crystal making, just like the Great East. Textiles are still present in the Vosges. The Nouvelle-Aquitaine region is traditionally known for its Limoges porcelain, and Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes for its Thiers cutlery. 70% of tableware employees work in the manufacture of glass items while 17% manufacture ceramic items, 9% of cutlery and 4% of table linen. The establishments of the glass tableware are larger, and a third of employees work in establishments with more than 100 employees. Conversely, the vast majority of cutlery establishments (97 %) have less than 50 employees.
And yet, a trade balance deficit…
The trade balance of the tableware branch is in deficit of 46 million euros. Only glass tableware items recorded a positive balance, of 81 million euros. French imports, amounting to 310 million euros, consist of 40% ceramic items, 32% glass items, 15% cutlery items and 13% household linens. China is France's leading supplier, with 36% of French imports and is at the top in all families of tableware products. Ceramic items account for just under half (46%) of total French imports from China and cutlery a quarter. Italy and Germany then come far behind, with each respectively 9% and 7% of French imports. French exports are rising, they, at 264 million euros. Glass items represent 68% of exports (with in particular 29% for tempered glass objects and 4% for crystal glasses). Ceramic items represent 18% of exports (13% for porcelain items for table service and cooking). Then follow the cutlery (9 %) and table linens (5 %). United Kingdom (11% of exports) and Germany (9 %) are the two main customers of France. The United States comes in third place (9% of exports).
This study was carried out mainly based on the results of the European Prodcom survey on industrial production.. It is supplied in France by the annual production survey (EAP), whose data was used to enrich the data relating to France.
