Food prices: Bruno Le Maire wants to bring forward negotiations between manufacturers and distributors to May – Economy

The Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, said he was in favor, on RMC / BFMTV, on Monday that the next negotiations between manufacturers and large retailers be brought forward by a month.

The minister wanted “trade negotiations between manufacturers and major distributors to reopen in May”, whereas Bercy had so far considered them in June. “I see that all food products are falling on the wholesale markets”, explained Bruno Le Maire, who believes that this situation should make it possible to bring down retail food prices, which increased in February by 14.8 % over one year. “I would like that when the price of wheat goes down, the next day, the price of pasta goes down”, underlined the minister, who says he has noticed that “when the price of wheat goes up, the next day the price of the package of pasta goes up” .

This Monday, on the occasion of the publication of its latest macroeconomic projections, the Banque de France said it expected a “peak” in the rise in food prices “towards the end of the first half”.

Hygiene products: the minister wants promotions “up to 50%”

The latest negotiations resulted in an average increase of some 10% in the prices paid by supermarkets to manufacturers to take into account the increase in their production costs (energy, transport, raw materials, packaging, etc.).

Bruno Le Maire welcomed the law proposal by deputy Frédéric Descrozaille to rebalance the relationship between large retailers and their suppliers, but wanted to broaden the possibilities of promotion on detergents, perfumery and hygiene products (DPH). “MP Descrozaille’s bill is a very good proposal,” he said. But he added that he found it “a bit paradoxical that we wanted the lowest prices for our compatriots and at the same time limit promotions for DPH products, detergents and hygiene products to 34%”.

This cap was deemed last week “irresponsible and inflationary” by the employers’ federation of large retailers, the FCD. “I would be in favor of allowing Michel-Edouard Leclerc and all distributors to make promotions not just at 34% on shampoos, hygiene products, detergent products but up to 50%”, declared the Minister of Economy.