Some boat industry news from France

D

DownWest

Well-known member
Joined
25 Dec 2007
Messages
13,029
Location
S.W. France
Visit site
Local aquaintance bought an Amal on the 'tax favourable ' idea. Basicly didn't pay the VAT.
Up the road, there is a rolling stock manufacturer. They don't lose many contracts from the French guv. Quite above board, just the contract details make it very tricky for a non french outfit to win the deal
 
Frogmogman

Frogmogman

Well-known member
Joined
26 Aug 2012
Messages
2,057
Visit site
DownWest said:
Local aquaintance bought an Amal on the 'tax favourable ' idea. Basicly didn't pay the VAT.
Up the road, there is a rolling stock manufacturer. They don't lose many contracts from the French guv. Quite above board, just the contract details make it very tricky for a non french outfit to win the deal
Click to expand...

Interesting that you use rolling stock as an example.

I recall back in 2013 a massive Thameslink contract for rolling stock going to Siemens in Germany, rather than to the Bombardier factories in the UK.

The underlying difficulty for train building in the UK because of the feast and famine nature of rail procurement in the domestic market was compounded by a decision that the successful bidder would provide private finance for the rolling stock over it's lifetime. The superior credit rating of the German economy meant that Siemens could borrow money far more cheaply, making it impossible for Bombardier to field a competitive bid, so British factories and workers lost out.

Was this the German government providing underhand subsidy to Siemens ? No, it was HMG failing to provide long term consistency and joined up thinking when it comes to the procurement of rolling stock, and then being moronic in allowing a bidding process which would not favour British jobs.

You would be right to suggest that the French government would have been unlikely to fall into this trap, or that an equivalent bidding process in France would have been framed in such a way that Alstom could not possibly be competitive.

Surely, policy which encourages competitive industry and job creation should be the business of government ?
 
S

Sybarite

Well-known member
Joined
7 Dec 2002
Messages
27,564
Location
France
Visit site
DownWest said:
Local aquaintance bought an Amal on the 'tax favourable ' idea. Basicly didn't pay the VAT.
Up the road, there is a rolling stock manufacturer. They don't lose many contracts from the French guv. Quite above board, just the contract details make it very tricky for a non french outfit to win the deal
Click to expand...

A yacht classified as ocean going is deemed to spend 50% of its time outside of French waters for VAT purposes - which consequently is halved on leasing payments. Nothing to do with French manufactured boats.
 
S

Sybarite

Well-known member
Joined
7 Dec 2002
Messages
27,564
Location
France
Visit site
bedouin said:
It has been widely alleged in the boating industry for several years - going right the way back to the 80s - that the French government has been subsidising Beneteau - it has been discussed on this forum before - whether they are illegal or not I am not qualified to say but certainly they are in a form that UK has not copied and gives Beneteau a competitive advantage
Click to expand...

If that were the case do you not think that the other European manufacturers would be up in arms against Bénéteau?

You apparently cannot get your head around the notion that Bénéteau is a highly efficient organization run by top-notch people. Beneteau has a 134 year history and it's not for nothing that it has become the N° 1 world-wide.

For a long time Annette Roux (née Bénéteau) was the boss. She had a strong financial background and for many years was Vice-President of the French Employers Federation.
 
Last edited:
D

Deleted member 36384

Guest
eddystone said:
Not including the UK marine industry unfortunately. I presume the OP is French.
Click to expand...

The OP is talking about French companies, not UK companies and it is indeed good news for those involved. But why do you think that the there is no good news for the Uk marine leisure industry?

At the end of 2016 the BMI had this to say: -

........ British Marine, finds that the UK leisure, superyacht and small commercial marine industry is posting revenues not seen since the financial crash. Six months since the Brexit vote, the report shows that confidence amongst British Marine members has bounced back.
Key findings

  • In 2015/16 revenues grew by 1.6%, to £3.01bn (the last time the industry posted revenues of over £3bn was 2008/9)
  • The industry directly contributes over £1.11bn of Gross Value Added to the UK economy (an increase of 3.7%)
  • Marine businesses now support over 33,000 full-time equivalent employees (up 4.6%)
  • Exports make up 29% of industry revenue, with key export markets including: Eurozone £392m (44.6%), North America £157m (17.8%), Other European Countries (including Russia) £90m (10.2%), China £40m (4.5%), and Middle East £30m (3.4%)
[FONT=&quot]Sectors that are sailing ahead include: [/FONT]

  • Engines & Equipment Manufacturing: £335 million (+8.8%)
  • Marinas & Moorings: £222 million (+3.6%)
  • Hire, Charter & Passenger Boats: £351 million (+6.8%)
  • Business Support Services: £145 million (+2.7%)
Click to expand...

The above quote is from the RYA Web Site http://www.rya.org.uk/newsevents/ne...ndustry-grows-for-fifth-consecutive-year.aspx

Seeing as you raised the point, it was good news at the end of 2016 for the British side. I guess we shall have to wait and see if it is good news for the 2017 business year.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
E

eddystone

Well-known member
Joined
18 Aug 2013
Messages
1,835
Location
North West Devon
Visit site
Frogmogman said:
Blimey. Are you implying that because the post was not about the British marine industry that it's of no possible interest to anyone on this forum ?

Truly the spirit of Brexit Britain.
Click to expand...
Just pointing out that glorying in the success of the French marine industry you would have to be French or some sort of fifth columnist.
Remoaner by the way, writing this from L'haut Savoie
 
Frogmogman

Frogmogman

Well-known member
Joined
26 Aug 2012
Messages
2,057
Visit site
eddystone said:
Just pointing out that glorying in the success of the French marine industry you would have to be French or some sort of fifth columnist.
Click to expand...

Not really. These days when so much manufacturing industry in the West has run up the white flag, I find it encouraging to hear of a manufacturing business in Western Europe which is succeeding through continued investment and intelligent management. It is true that the French government and local regional authorities have done what they can to encourage the marine industry, and if that is working, so much the better.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

... and 28 more.
Total: 1,247 (members: 78, guests: 1,169)

Share this page

Top