Most manufactured good, and many foodstuffs are imported, generally from France. The agricultural sector employs about 10 per cent of the workforce in Guadeloupe and less in Martinique. Other vegetable and root crops are cultivated for local consumption but most meat, grain and vegetable requirements are met by imports. The industrial sector is dominated by construction, cement production and rum. Martinique also has an oil refinery, fruit canning, soft drinks manufacturing and polyethylene and fertilizer plants.
Tourism is the most important growth area in both economies.
In 1995 numbers of visitors to Martinique reached nearly 1 million while in Guadeloupe in 1997 they were just under half a million. Most trade is with France. There is also a fair amount of trade between the d partements, mostly of agricultural products . The close economic relationship with France makes it difficult for other countries to break into these markets. Political Though distance and language tend to discourage contacts between Australia and the French Antilles, there are important trading opportunities in the French Antilles for Australia companies.