China becomes Algeria’s first supplier ahead of France

France is no longer Algeria’s first supplier. France has lost its leading position which has been taken over by China over the past first 9 months, (between January and September) of this year.

China now takes the lead with 4.95 billion dollars against 4.7 billion dollars for France, according to statistics issued by to the CNIS center of the Algerian customs on Saturday in Algiers.

For those who follow the steady evolution of the Algerian economy, these data don’t constitute a surprise. They reflect the efficiency of the Chinese dynamism in the face of the French listlessness and over cautiousness.

At a time when the Chinese companies adapt to the Algerian market environment, the French firms for their part endeavoured to have the Algerian trade laws altered, by notably runningcounter to the 51/49 regulation or complaining against the so-called judicial instability in the country.

As a matter of fact, the French firms want to benefit from “special conditions” in order to have a foothold in the Algerian market.

A case in point was the French Axa insurance company which had negotiated for several months to get exempted from the 51/49 investment regulation imposed by the Algerian government but to no avail.

The French car-maker Renault was luckier to some extent by securing very enticing conditions to establish its car assembly plant in the city of Oran in western Algeria.

On the other hand, the Chinese investors and business operators are less obtrusive and more pragmatic than the French ones. Without being blatantly helped by their government, they are forging ahead in all sectors of activity.

The latest CNIS figures validate their trading strategy. As a result, the Chinese supremacy is expected to get more bolstered in the coming months.