On October 15 and 16, Business France gathered French companies planning to grow in the United States, first in Paris (Hôtel de Talleyrand), then in Lyon (Hôtel de Région). The 9th edition of “Réussir aux États-Unis” (Succeeding in the US) took place in the middle of the US tariff debate. That is no accident: more French SMEs sell to America today than ever before.
Key figures
- 33,600 French companies exported to the US in Q2 2026, 6,200 more than a year earlier (French Customs).
- Most of the growth came from firms with fewer than 20 employees (+5,700), led by trade and services.
- In 2025, new foreign direct investment in the US reached $232.2 billion (+49.5%), with 50.2% coming from Europe (BEA).
The agenda mirrored today’s questions: economic outlook, business development, taxation and sales tax, business law, visas, running a subsidiary, and a panel on choosing a state in a “continent-sized country,” with Louisiana and South Carolina on stage. The afternoon was given to one-on-one meetings with experts.
What this means for a European SME or mid-sized company
An event like this gives you the map: legal entity, tax, visas, location. But the map is not the territory. Back at the office, one question remains open: who will your first ten American customers be, and how do you get a meeting with them?
Three mistakes come up often after this kind of event:
- Starting with the structure. Setting up a subsidiary, a bank account and a team before checking that a US buyer wants the product. The reverse order costs far less.
- Targeting “the United States.” It is fifty markets. The right state is where your customers are, not necessarily the best known.
- Waiting for event contacts to convert on their own. A business card is not a pipeline. Without structured follow-up, momentum fades within weeks.
The 6,200 new exporters this year show the door is open, small firms included. The difference will come from how fast each company moves from intent to its first sales conversations.
Our approach at Gershon Consulting
Since 2013, Gershon Consulting has helped European companies enter the US market. We start by defining your ideal customer profile (ICP) in the US with you: industry, company size, decision-maker role, region. We then open qualified meetings with those decision-makers through LinkedIn prospecting and outbound. Finally, we provide commercial representation on the ground while you validate the market, before you commit to heavy investment. In short, we pick up where the event ends: at your first client meetings.
Back from “Réussir aux États-Unis” with a US project? Book a call with us: https://www.gershonconsulting.com/calendar
Lire cet article en français : Réussir aux États-Unis 2026 : du salon aux premiers rendez-vous clients
Sources: Business France, “Réussir aux États-Unis 2026” programme; Team France Export, event page; French Customs, August 2026 foreign trade results (October 7, 2026); BEA, New Foreign Direct Investment in the United States, 2025.
