# List of French colonial trading companies

This is a list of French colonial trading companies established under a royal charter to conduct trade between France and its colonies. Although more limited trading companies were established in the 16th century, they expanded greatly in the 17th century following on the models established by the British East India Company and the Dutch East India Company. Beginning in 1626, Cardinal Richelieu, acting as Grandmaster of Navigation and Commerce[fr], authorized a range of companies to monopolize trade around the world in line with French interests, as well as expand French colonies and convert local populations to Catholicism. These ambitions were further expanded under Jean-Baptiste Colbert with the founding of the French East and West Indies companies in 1664.
The company charters were usually limited to a specific commodity or region, but over time and through mergers the reach of these companies could change dramatically. Their charter could also include oversight and control of colonies, including ensuring security, issuing currency, and imposing local taxes. They also often engaged in military conflicts to protect their trade monopolies.

## List of French chartered companies

| founded | dissolved | name | also known as | area of operation | notes |
| 1601 | 1604 | Compagnie française des mers orientales [fr] | | East Indies | failed |
| 1604 | 1615 | Compagnie Le Roy et Godefroy | | East Indies | succeeded by the Compagnie des Moluques |
| 1611 | ? | Compagnie de Montmorency pour les Indes Orientales | | East Indies | failed |
| 1614 | 1627 | Compagnie des marchands de Rouen et de Saint-Malo [fr] | Compagnie de Rouen | Canada | merged into the Compagnie de la Nouvelle-France |
| 1615 | 1627 | Compagnie des Moluques | | East Indies | failed |
| 1621 | 1627 | Compagnie de Montmorency [fr] | | Canada | merged into the Compagnie de la Nouvelle-France |
| 1624 | 1634 | Compagnie du Sénégal et de Gambie | | West Africa | renamed Compagnie du Cap Vert |
| 1626 | 1628 | Compagnie de la Nacelle de Saint Pierre fleurdelysée | Compagnie du Saint Esprit | Atlantic fisheries | failed |
| 1626 | 1635 | Compagnie de Saint-Christophe | | Saint Kitts and Nevis | succeeded by Compagnie des îles d'Amérique |
| 1626 | 1659 | Compagnie normande [fr] | Compagnie Rozée | West Africa | merged into the Compagnie du Cap-Vert et du Sénégal |
| 1627 | 1663 | Compagnie de la Nouvelle-France | Compagnie des Cent-Associés | Canada | became a royal province then succeeded by Compagnie française des Indes Occidentales |
| 1633 | 1652 | Compagnie de Rouen [fr] | | French Guiana | acquired by the second Compagnie de la France équinoxiale |
| 1634 | 1658 | Compagnie du Cap Vert | | West Africa | renamed Compagnie du Cap-Vert et du Sénégal |
| 1635 | 1651 | Compagnie des îles d'Amérique | | Caribbean | merged into the Compagnie française des Indes Occidentales |
| 1637 | 1664 | Compagnie de Madagascar | | Madagascar | merged into the Compagnie française des Indes Orientales |
| 1642 | 1664 | Compagnie d'Orient | | Madagascar | merged into the Compagnie française des Indes Orientales |
| 1644 | 1669 | Compagnie du Nord | Compagnie de la mer Baltique | Scandinavia/Baltic Sea | failed |
| 1644 | 1663 | Compagnie des Habitants | Communauté des Habitants | Canada | split off fur-trading activities of the Compagnie de la Nouvelle-France |
| 1651 | 1653 | Compagnie de la France équinoxiale | | French Guiana | succeeded by the second Compagnie de la France équinoxiale |
| 1658 | 1664 | Compagnie du Cap-Vert et du Sénégal [fr] | | West Africa | merged into the Compagnie française des Indes Occidentales |
| 1660 | 1664 | Compagnie de Chine | | China | succeeded by the Compagnie française des Indes Orientales |
| 1663 | 1664 | Compagnie de la France équinoxiale | Compagnie de Cayenne | French Guiana | merged into the Compagnie française des Indes Occidentales |
| 1664 | 1674 | Compagnie française des Indes Occidentales | | Canada, West Africa, Caribbean, French Guiana | liquidated |
| 1664 | 1719 | Compagnie française des Indes Orientales | | East Africa, India, China, East Indies | merged into John Law's Compagnie des Indes |
| 1670 | 1685 | Compagnie du Levant [fr] | | Middle East | succeeded by the Compagnie de la Méditerranée |
| 1673 | 1681 | Compagnie du Sénégal | | West Africa | succeeded, in part, by the Compagnie de Guinée |
| 1675 | 1675 | Compagnie d'Occident | | Canada & Caribbean | became the Ferme d'Occident |
| 1675 | 1791 | Ferme d'Occident [fr] | Ferme d'Ouest | Canada & Caribbean | |
| 1682 | 1700 | Compagnie de la Baie du Nord | Compagnie du Nord | Hudson Bay | merged into the Compagnie de la Colonie |
| 1684 | 1720 | Compagnie de Guinée [fr] | | West Africa | merged with the Compagnie de l'Asiento and then into the Compagnie perpétuelle des Indes |
| 1685 | 1693 | Compagnie de la Méditerranée | | Middle East | failed |
| 1685 | | Compagnie David Gradis et fils | Société française pour le commerce avec l'Outre-mer | Caribbean | still in operation. |
| 1694 | 1718 | Compagnie d'Afrique | | North Africa | merged into John Law's Compagnie des Indes |
| 1696 | 1702 | Compagnie royal du Sénégal | | West Africa | merged with the Compagnie de l'Asiento |
| 1698 | 1720 | Compagnie royale de la mer du Sud [fr] | Compagnie royale de la mer Pacifique | South Pacific | merged into John Law's Compagnie des Indes |
| 1698 | 1720 | Compagnie royale de Saint-Domingue [fr] | Compagnie de Saint-Domingue | Saint-Domingue | merged into John Law's Compagnie des Indes |
| 1698 | 1719 | Compagnie de Chine | | China | merged into John Law's Compagnie des Indes |
| 1699 | 1706 | Compagnie de la Colonie | Compagnie du castor | Canada | failed |
| 1701 | 1713 | Compagnie de l'Asiento [fr] | | West Africa & Caribbean | existed to provide enslaved Africans to Spanish colonies under the Asiento de Negros; abandoned following the Treaty of Utrecht |
| 1709 | 1718 | Compagnie du Sénégal | | West Africa | merged into John Law's Compagnie des Indes |
| 1712 | 1719 | Compagnie de Barbarie | | North Africa | merged into John Law's Compagnie des Indes |
| 1712 | 1717 | Compagnie de la Louisiane [fr] | | Louisiana | merged into John Law's Compagnie d'Occident |
| 1717 | 1719 | Compagnie d'Occident | | Canada, Louisiana & Caribbean | merged into the Compagnie des Indes |
| 1719 | 1770 | French Indies Company | | Worldwide | part of John Law's System, then reorganized in 1723; liquidated in 1770 |
| 1741 | 1793 | Compagnie royale d'Afrique [fr] | | North Africa | slave traders; slavery in France abolished in February 1794 |
| 1748 | 1793 | Société d'Angola [fr] | Compagnie d'Angola | Angola | slave traders; slavery in France abolished in February 1794 |
| 1748 | 1793 | Grou et Michel [fr] | Compagnie de Guinée | Gulf of Guinea | slave traders; slavery in France abolished in February 1794 |
| 1785 | 1794 | Compagnie de Calonne | | Asia | liquidated during French Revolution |