Commerce and Industry

Much of the financial activity of France is centered in Paris. The main commercial section, with the Bourse (Stock Exchange) at the center, is on the Right Bank. The Bank of France is located in Paris, as are numerous international banks and the offices of many large corporations and insurance companies.

The city is also the nation's leading wholesale and retail center; its merchandise attracts people from all parts of the world. Les Halles, for centuries the main agricultural produce market, was replaced in 1969 by a larger and more efficient market, located outside the city to ease congestion. In the open-air Flea Market an astounding array of goods are sold at hundreds of little stalls.

Paris is known internationally for such luxury items as designer clothing, perfume, leather goods, jewelry, and furs. But more important is the manufacture of automobiles, machinery, electrical equipment, and chemicals, most of which takes place in the surrounding suburbs. In an attempt to relieve the heavy concentration around Paris, the government discourages new plants from locating in the area and encourages relocation of existing ones.

Publishing and printing, food processing, and the making of tobacco products and glassware add to the diversity of Paris's manufacturing activities.