Premium Magnificence Information – You could have been on the helm of FEBEA for nearly 5 years. What’s your perspective on the sector’s latest evolution?
Emmanuel Guichard – The previous 5 years have been particularly turbulent. The cosmetics trade has confronted a collection of main shocks, starting with the Covid-19 pandemic. Inside months, world commerce floor to a halt, adopted by a pointy rebound that severely strained provide chains. Whereas uncertainty nonetheless prevails, clearer developments at the moment are rising — notably throughout the European continent.
Premium Magnificence Information – French exports seem like dropping momentum. How do you interpret this shift?
Emmanuel Guichard – France stays the world’s main cosmetics exporter, however the trade is going through intensifying world competitors and a change in U.S. coverage.
The ultimate figures, launched on February 6, verify the slowdown noticed in latest months. 2025 closed with a 0.1% decline. Excluding the pandemic interval, that is the primary contraction because the 2008 monetary disaster. It’s a robust warning sign.
The downturn is basically attributable to U.S. tariffs, which led to a 19% drop in exports over the yr and a fair steeper 25% fall within the fourth quarter. Nevertheless, it additionally displays intensifying world competitors, notably from dynamic Asian gamers equivalent to South Korea.
Premium Magnificence Information – Is Europe rising as a development driver?
Emmanuel Guichard – Clearly, sure. Inflation has largely subsided, and consumption is choosing up throughout many European markets. French exports to EU member states have risen by 4%. France and Germany stay exceptions, because of particular and well-defined political and financial components.
The slowdown in inflation can be producing a noteworthy impact: it’s diminishing the enchantment of unfair competitors. Shoppers are inserting much less emphasis on value alone and paying higher consideration to security, environmental requirements, and high quality —areas the place our trade has well-established strengths.
Premium Magnificence Information – How can exporting corporations adapt?
Emmanuel Guichard – Geopolitical threat has now change into a structural function of the worldwide panorama. On this surroundings, the one sound technique for corporations is to diversify their markets. The free commerce agreements lately concluded between the European Union and Mercosur, and with India, are steps in that path—though their respective potential differs considerably.
Concerning Mercosur, the treaty’s impression on our trade ought to be pretty restricted; for example, it doesn’t present for tariff reductions on fragrances. Furthermore, Latin American international locations are nonetheless struggling to develop a secure center class with ample buying energy to purchase our merchandise at scale. That mentioned, the removing of sure duties can solely be optimistic. Because it stands, France exports extra cosmetics and fragrances to Portugal than to Brazil!
India, in contrast, gives important development potential. Market entry is presently extremely restricted, however the brand new settlement might change that. With a center class of almost 70 million customers, there may be robust demand for magnificence merchandise and fragrances.
Premium Magnificence Information – What about Asia?
Emmanuel Guichard – Our exports to China remained secure (1.2%), displaying no actual indicators of restoration. French merchandise proceed to account for 30% of imported cosmetics within the Chinese language market. In the meantime, Chinese language manufacturers are more and more pursuing worldwide enlargement, rising as robust rivals to South Korea.
In Indonesia, the latest implementation of halal certification is creating further prices for exporters. This improvement additionally raises the danger that related regulatory measures might unfold to different markets.
Premium Magnificence Information – Are European rules hindering export competitiveness?
Emmanuel Guichard – Let’s simply say that European public authorities don’t all share the identical notion of the significance of the cosmetics trade! We’re advocating for a extra proportionate method to chemical rules for our sector. When the Scientific Committee on Client Security [1] deems an ingredient secure for cosmetics, it ought to stay licensed in formulations. Merchandise supposed for utility to the pores and skin can’t be handled like ingested substances. We additionally want real looking deadlines that replicate the time required to organize exemption requests.
We’re presently working to simplify these necessities beneath the European Fee’s Omnibus VI Directive on chemical substances. For the trade, this might save as much as EUR 6 billion throughout Europe, together with EUR 2 billion for France alone. These financial savings might assist offset a number of years of losses linked to U.S. tariffs. They would offer further sources to reinforce our world competitiveness.
Premium Magnificence Information – What’s the newest on the City Wastewater Therapy Directive (UWWTD) and the calculation strategies you’re difficult?
Emmanuel Guichard – We lately held a full day of discussions with Stéphane Séjourné, the European Commissioner chargeable for this file. Increasing the checklist of sectors lined by this new Prolonged Producer Duty is, unsurprisingly, a prolonged course of. Cosmetics corporations are keen to contribute to city wastewater therapy — solely in proportion to our precise position within the air pollution generated. It is unnecessary, for instance, for us to fund the cleanup of caffeine air pollution; we’re clearly not the principle driver behind espresso consumption!
Furthermore, native authorities usually attempt to move the whole price onto trade. Our intention is to not rewrite the whole directive however to outline a transparent checklist of focused pollution and make sure the polluter-pays precept is utilized persistently.
Premium Magnificence Information – What’s your prime precedence transferring ahead?
Emmanuel Guichard – Our clear precedence is to spice up the competitiveness of the cosmetics trade in France and throughout Europe. Attaining this may require regulatory simplification and higher worldwide transparency, particularly because the sector undergoes a interval of consolidation amongst each manufacturers and suppliers.
