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Exports of French cheeses have dried up in 2009, according to French customs. In value exports fell 4.8% to 2.5 billion euros as in volume, with a decline of 1.7% to 591,121 tonnes. Exports represent 30% of French production.

The price of milk in question

The primary cause of this decline is the price of milk. Highest average of 15% in France compared to Germany and 9.5% from the Netherlands. Germany is Europe's largest exporter of cheese in front of France since 2003 in volume and value since 2006.

This drop increases with the cheeses using milk as much of the Emmental. Its exports fell 10% in 2009 and processed cheese, like Saint-Moret or Laughing Cow, requiring a lot of milk, they decreased by 13.5%.These high prices are crises repetitions of French dairy farmers, worried about the fall of their income.

For other reasons, Gruyère is also in a delicate situation. The European Commission may not give the French Gruyere the protected designation of origin (PDO), leaving the field open to Swiss Gruyere . The decision will be made in a few months.

Prospects in the U.S.

However, signs of recovery in the high end is particularly noticeable in the U.S. market, the first destination of French cheeses outside the European Union ahead of Switzerland and Japan. Arnaud Gauthier, cheese and creator of Frenchcheese club, said that "the U.S. market is a huge potential."He created a club offering premium products and to penetrate different markets in terms of complicated legislation. Example: the tripling of tariffs on Roquefort cheese in January 2009.

French cheesemakers are two sides to the Paris Bourse. Bel Cheese (The Laughing Cow, Boursin, Babybel …) and Bongrain (Caprice gods, Coeur de Lion, Tartar …). At the opening of trading on Friday, as the Cheese Fair was up 2.38% to 129 euros and that of Bongrain at equilibrium (0.06%) to 54.55 euros.

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"We are exploring ways to provide benefits to small holders faithful, these solutions exist, and we're working on." That was the message delivered by Pierre Bellon, the boss of Sodexo at the last general meeting of the group that denounced the attitude of speculators "that enter and leave."

How to build a strong relationship with individual shareholders? The question hangs over the board: whether to protect themselves from the vagaries of the Stock Exchange or the appetite of a rival, small holders, shareholders are stable and frequent strong allies. For loyalty, companies are using every weapon at their disposal. And to fly, nothing can replace the hard cash.

The payment each year of a generous dividend, indicating a continuous and healthy growth is certainly the most effective way to reward its shareholders.For the most faithful, "who hold their shares for more than two years, companies may pay a dividend plus a maximum of 10%," explains Eric Bleine, Director General of JRC Asset Management. "These same shareholders may also benefit from plans to award free shares also increased to a maximum of 10%.

Another lever: the right to vote can be doubled beyond a certain period of detention. Another technique that has proved itself: shares in registered form, directly into the records of the company make quick cash .

A variety of tools

For the latter, the advantage is huge. It clearly identifies its shareholders and can detect any movement in the capital, where a significant proportion of the shares are registered in the nominative, as is the case with Michelin, Lagardère or Air Liquide.For the holder of action, the advantage is twofold: It is generally exempt from payment of custody and is constantly informed of the life of society. In the world of action "father", some titles are in a privileged position as Air Liquide and L'Oreal, darlings of small shareholders. "Among the 410 identified 000 individual shareholders, more than 150 000 were registered," says one from Air Liquide. Its main recipe: distribute generous dividends.

But the group uses almost the entire range of tools at its disposal with many levels of distribution of free shares, plus dividends and many buybacks. L'Oreal led until a different policy focusing mainly on the growth of its shares to pamper its shareholders.But now the group has decided to go further by also rewarding its loyal shareholders with a bonus dividend. The first will be paid in 2012 for profit in 2011.

While the Internet has become as indispensable as water or electricity, Pierre Danon, CEO of Numericable, announced that the cable operator will introduce a social tariff, responding to the request of the Prime Minister.

LE FIGARO. – For 9.99 euros per month, which will service the right customers?

Pierre Danon. – The Prime Minister had asked the operators a triple play package of around 20 euros for the poor. Numericable goes beyond and offers 9.99 euros a month for 60 channels of television (DTT channels and a selection of foreign channels), Internet access at 2 Mbps and unlimited calls in metropolitan France.There are two requirements to be eligible for this offer: being beneficiary of the RSA or disabled adult allowance and live in housing benefit service unique digital Numericable.

Will you receive compensation from the state?

The universal service fund, managed by the Caisse des depots, should pay a subsidy of 4.21 euros per month per subscriber to Numericable. This package will therefore revert to 5.99 euros a month to subscribers, 4 euro is already included in the charges. I sent a letter yesterday with the offer to Prime Minister, Arcep and services Bercy. If they approve our offer within two months we could launch it this summer.

What advantage Numericable?

It is primarily a historical constant of the cable as being involved in social housing and community.On the other hand, Numericable, who will work with municipalities and departments on this job should be able to equip a large number of new homes. Some customers take the social tariff, but others choose our offerings more upscale. I think that with this offer we can win new customers. We are now at 25% market share on the recruitment of new Internet subscribers. This should enable us to progress further. Not to mention that in dealing with public housing offices, Numericable reduces acquisition costs and delinquency risks.

You had already launched in November offer "low cost" to 19.90 euros. What is the result?

This offer works very well. It represents approximately one third of our new subscribers. Auchan is also to engage the clutch on this niche, because there is a real logic to segment the market.They are not social but tender offers "low-cost targeted. For example, many people do not use the TV service yet they pay their standard Internet package at 30 euros a month. We must stop the dictatorship of the package at 30 euros, which was a stroke of genius Free, but has not moved for four years.

After Darty and Auchan Bouygues Telecom, will you welcome new operators on your fiber network?

We are in discussions with various partners, but he must first deal with the influx of new customers for our partners. Auchan has trained 1 200 hypermarkets in 72 vendors!

The picture improves Numericable does to customers?

Yes. Having been a champion of consumer complaints, admittedly, we're totally out of radar DGCCRF.The service was bad a year ago, we made a lot of work, it is now correct. And we will still improve.

Having renounced the 4th license, what are your plans in the mobile?

Our priority remains the fiber. On the mobile, we are virtual network operator Bouygues Telecom. We will soon launch a 3G and a key card offer prepaid. But we do not support the pedal fully, because we can not afford to spend millions of euros to acquire a subscriber base.In 2010-2011, Numericable focuses on profitable growth.

Are you still handicapped by the weight of your debt?

Having renegotiated our debt with the bankers in November, we loosened the noose and we are perfectly comfortable with our deadlines for repayment of 1.5 billion euros by 2014.

The connected TV is it a concern for you, whose job is to aggregate a bunch of strings?

It is a subject that we anticipated early 2009 with our range of interactive TV "2.0", and we continue to invest. We have discussions with several manufacturers of televisions. In April, Numericable present its first applications in the form of widgets available on the TV screen.We will launch thematic portals (youth, sports, entertainment …) which will become real media capable of guiding the client and recommend programs.

Year End Spectacular for the U.S. economy. According growth reached 5.7% in the fourth quarter. Economists had forecast between 4.7% and 5.4%.

This unexpected development will limit the historical downfall of GDP over the year to -2.4%. The U.S. economy had not experienced such a decline since 1946.

In the fourth quarter, growth was supported by the recovery in business inventories, the resumption of investment and exports, says the Federal Bureau of Statistics payday loans for bad credit . In addition, imports, which are deducted from GDP, slowed. These factors have offset the slowdown in federal spending and household consumption.

According to preliminary data released this morning by Immostat-IPD, the total investment in commercial property (offices, shops, warehouses) in Ile-de-France for the past year totaled 5.2 billion euros. This figure compares with a volume of 8 billion in 2008. This is the bottom of the range anticipated by the professional last October. In fact, the last quarter that saved the furniture with a total investment of 2.54 billion euros, or nearly half the activity of the year.

Also in Ile-de-France region, which contains 70% of national activity, take-up, which agglomerates investments by enterprises for their own needs and leased, moved it to 1, 8 million square meters for all of 2009, against 2.4 million in 2008 and 2.7 million in 2007.At the same time, the supply of offices immediately available is up 6% at the beginning of the year compared to last quarter, representing 3.26 million square meters.

For 2010, even if professionals are optimistic, they believe that further improvement observed in late 2009 will depend on the quality of provision and financing needs. Many uncertainties remain, particularly on the employment front, leaving fear tougher price point operators. In terms of rental values, "the time is still correcting, notes and DTZ. After declines of 10 to 25% depending on the relevant markets, the movement should continue, says the consultancy. Accompanying measures (exemption from rents and attendance), already strengthened in 2009, should still be denser.

Restructure its debt and enter the stock market with a dual listing in Hong Kong and Paris. This was the program of Russian Rusal, the world's largest producer of aluminum this year. The first step has been completed on time.

Prior to renegotiation, the group's debt amounted to 16.8 billion dollars (for a 2008 turnover of 15.7 billion dollars). It was reduced to 14.9 billion dollars. The group has completed one of its primary goals: reduce cost.

In detail, the 7.4 billion driven by international creditors (including large French banks) will be settled in two stages. The first four years, Rusal make principal repayments on the basis of its available cash. Interest will be paid partly in cash and the balance will be funded.

Then, the remaining debt will be refinanced for an additional period of three years. A similar agreement was reached with the creditors of the Russian group, which are 2.1 billion of debt, the new rate of 8-9%.

A value of 30 billion dollars

RUSAL also signed an agreement with Onexim – a leading Russian investment fund – the creditor group to the tune of 2.7 billion. The fund has agreed to convert $ 1.82 billion in a 6% shareholding in Rusal. This therefore values the company at 30.3 billion dollars.

Finally, net debt, estimated at 5 billion by counting the future interest will be subject to periodic payments by the fourth quarter 2013. The group has already indicated that some funds raised on financial markets would be used to repay debt.About 5 billion would be spent.

Oleg Deripaska, Rusal CEO and principal shareholder, welcomed "a project of such size and complexity without precedent." It remains now to get the stock exchange's business under pain of seeing nationalized. And even the Russian state does not acquire a significant share of its capital.

However, the IPO of Rusal is far from being a plain sailing. The group plans to make its debut on the coast of Hong Kong before the end of the year. A calendar that may be difficult to hold. In 2007, Rusal was considered a listing in London before giving it up.

Air France would seek to lower its costs, including the medium-haul. According to The Tribune on Tuesday, the company would increase 15 to 20% the productivity of its flight personnel (pilots, flight attendants) to counter the stiff competition from airlines Low-cost flights and the TGV.

The newspaper said the number of flight hours performed by the pilots could spend an average of 565 per year to 650. They totaled 700 at Easyjet, Ryanair 900 and 850 hours at Transavia, low-cost subsidiary of Air France. The group would however have to review the collective agreements which run until 2011 for pilots and 2013 cabin crew.

The newspaper said that these figures were announced Friday by the Director General Bruno Matheu marketing at an internal meeting between the leadership and cadres of the group.However, management told AFP today that she "had never advanced figure Friday. However, "reform on the short and medium haul should be prior consultation with the aircrew," she added.

Next year, South Korea will chair the G20, the group that includes the twenty largest economies in the world. She is so proud that the story would that President Lee Myung-bak has generously sprinkled his victory with Korean journalists on the flight back from Pittsburgh last September.

But the G20 is especially for Korea the opportunity to switch permanently to the big boys. Member of the OECD since 1996, it still suffers from an image of countries whose development it would get rid of. The prospect of the chairmanship of the G20 now gives him the means to take the step that separates the camp from rich countries.

The government does not say. But the past of heavy industry in Korea, automotive, shipbuilding, which earned him once beautiful success in foreign markets, it sticks a little too much skin.The "green growth" advocates now she must give him the tools to turn the page. "It's a gamble on new technologies and innovation," said Lee Dong-keun, Deputy Director, Department of Economics.

Behind the Japanese

The automaker Hyundai knows, like many Korean business leaders, he launches into this race with a long lag behind the Japanese. "But we are confident and ready to fight," he said. "The technology is a challenge that we face at the same time as we are moving increasingly towards service activities with high added value," added Chung Tong-soo, head of Invest Korea, the national agency promotion of foreign investment in the country.

The government were eleven service activities he wants to deregulate, including banks and health.Two very promising market for foreign investors, which ensures the state, are also associated with major projects related to green agenda of President Lee Myung-bak. The details of their participation have not been finalized, but they are "in December," says Yoo Beom-sik, director of international cooperation in the presidential committee for Green Growth. And until the country increasing the economic zones. No fewer than six are currently under construction.

The Regulatory Authority for electronic communications and postal services would intend to notice the two operators SFR and Orange (France Telecom subsidiary) to complete their networks of third generation mobile (3G) in France, under penalty of a fine record, according to the daily Les Echos.

In case of insufficient coverage of the French population in 3G network. In August 2009, the mobile network SFR 3G covered nearly 80% of the population then it should have covered 99.3%, according to the obligations of the license. As the Orange 3G network, it covered 83% of the French population in late September when he should have covered 98%.The two operators had obtained their licenses mobile third generation – UMTS license – in 2001.

As provided in the Act to modernize the economy since 2007, Arcep could, if the operators fail to comply, impose a penalty of up to 600 to 700 million euros per operator. Such a fine should push the two operators to act and to increase national coverage or at least encourage them to think seriously.

Constant pressure on Arcep

The digital development planning is a growing concern among French and their elected representatives, who exercise a constant pressure on Arcep to make it comply with the commitments made by operators in obtaining their licenses.The network coverage of Bouygues Telecom, which won the third UMTS license a year and a half after Orange and SFR will be verified later, again according to Les Echos.

Both operators will nevertheless defend keep the ill will in recent months. SFR said that the delay in the coverage area is due to technical difficulties of reusing frequencies from 2G to 3G while Orange himself, highlights the difficulty of installing antennas for the delay.

This case must surely be followed closely by the applicants for the fourth mobile license, while the debate is currently raging on the details of its acquisition.The Bouygues Telecom has announced on Wednesday it had filed two appeals with the State Council to challenge the award procedure for the fourth license for mobile phones it deems anticompetitive.

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The French household consumption of manufactured goods, the traditional engine of French growth, has experienced a strong rebound in September in most areas, registering a total increase of 2.3% after declining in July (-1 , 1%) and August (-1.0%), INSEE said Friday. Throughout the third quarter, the decrease was contained to 0.2% after rising by 0.7% in the second quarter. "The rebound in September was largely reflects a surge in auto purchases," Analysis economist Frédérique Cerisier (BNP Paribas).

Purchases of textile and leather depart upward after a difficult summer (-3% in July and -3.8% in August). Despite this catch-up in September, the consumption of textile-leather is in sharp decline over the quarter (-2.5%). Purchases of capital goods also rose housing by 0.2% and 1.6% throughout the quarter.

No stall

"In line with government expectations, consumption continues to resist in France," says one in the entourage of the Minister of Economy Christine Lagarde, who considers "this encouraging development." The minister herself "finds that the effects of scrapping bonus on car purchases remain sensitive, while stressing that" the dynamism of consumption is not only related to the automotive sector. Economists expect a rise of around 0.2% on the year and excludes any stall as long as the devices supporting the automotive sector will be maintained.

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