Container glass is by far the largest sector of the French glass industry, alone taking 69% of the domestic market by volume and, together with glass tableware, 69% in value terms in 1998. The dominance of this sector remained unchallenged throughout the 1990s. The French glass industry remains heavily export orientated, and in 1997 exports accounted for 41% of production, against 35% at the start of the decade. Technical glass is the sector which is by far the most heavily dependent on exports, with 85% of production destined abroad. Most sectors of the French glass industry have become increasingly open to the export market over the past 10 years, with the notable exception of the flat glass industry, where exports have dropped as a percentage of production, down from 32% in 1990 to 28% in 1998.
