The Minister of Commerce was a cabinet member in the Government of France. The position sometimes included responsibility for other government departments such as Public Works, Interior, Agriculture and Posts, Telegraphs and Telephones. The position has largely been merged today into the expanded Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industry.
Ministers of Commerce and Manufacturing
In 1812 Napoleon created a Ministry of Commerce and Manufacturing (Ministère du Commerce et des Manufactures), which he assigned to Jean-Baptiste Collin de Sussy. That ministry was suppressed in 1814.
16 January 1812 – 1 April 1814 : Jean-Baptiste Collin de SussyA royal ordinance of 22 January 1828 recreated the Ministry of Commerce and Manufacturing, which covered manufacturing and interior and exterior commerce, which were detached from the Ministry of the Interior. The ministry was suppressed by ordinance of 8 August 1829, and these services were again made part of the department of the interior.
29 January 1828 – 8 August 1829 : Pierre de Saint-CricqMinisters of Commerce and Public works
An ordinance of 17 March 1831 created the Ministry of Commerce and Public works (Ministère du Commerce et des Travaux publics), to which the minister had been named on 13 March 1831. This ministry included agriculture, subsistence, stud farms, interior and exterior commerce and statistics, detached from the department of the Interior.
13 March 1831 – 31 December 1832 : Antoine, comte d'Argout31 December 1832 – 4 April 1834 : Adolphe ThiersA royal ordinance of 6 April 1834 created the Ministry of Commerce (Ministère du Commerce), with the same functions as the Ministry of Commerce and Public works .
4 April 1834 – 10 November 1834 : Charles Marie Tanneguy Duchâtel10 November 1834 – 18 November 1834 : Jean-Baptiste Teste18 November 1834 – 22 February 1836 : Charles Marie Tanneguy DuchâtelMinisters of Commerce and Public works
An ordinance of 2 March 1836 recreated the Ministry of Commerce and Public works, with the added responsibilities of bridges, roads and mines.
22 February 1836 – 6 September 1836 : Hippolyte Passy6–19 September 1836 : Comte Duchatel (interim)Ministers of Public Works, Agriculture and Commerce
An ordinance of 19 September 1836 changed the name without changing the function, to the Ministère des travaux publics, d'agriculture et du commerce'.
19 September 1836 – 31 March 1839 : Nicolas Martin du Nord31 March 1839 – 12 May 1839 : Adrien de GasparinMinisters of Agriculture and Commerce
A royal ordinance of 23 May 1839 reconstituted the ministry as Agriculture and Commerce, with the same duties as that of the ordinance of 6 April 1834.
12 May 1839 – 1 March 1840 : Laurent Cunin-Gridaine1 March 1840 – 29 October 1840 : Alexandre Goüin29 October 1840 – 24 February 1848 : Laurent Cunin-Gridaine24 February 1848 – 11 May 1848 : Eugène Bethmont11 May 1848 – 28 June 1848 : Ferdinand Flocon28 June 1848 – 20 December 1848 : Charles Gilbert Tourret20 December 1848 – 29 December 1848 : Jacques Alexandre Bixio9 December 1848 – 2 June 1849 : Louis Joseph Buffet2 June 1849 – 31 October 1849 : Victor Ambroise LanJuneais31 October 1849 – 9 January 1851 : Jean-Baptiste Dumas9 January 1851 – 24 January 1851 : Louis Bernard Bonjean24 January 1851 – 10 April 1851 : Eugène Schneider10 April 1851 – 26 October 1851 : Louis Joseph Buffet26 October 1851 – 26 November 1851 : François, comte de Casabianca26 November 1851 – 25 January 1852 : Noël-Jacques Lefebvre-DurufléMinisters of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce
A decree of 25 January 1852 reunited the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce with that of the Interior, under the title Ministère de l'intérieur, de l'agriculture et du commerce.
25 January 1852 – 14 February 1853 : Victor Fialin, comte de PersignyMinisters of Agriculture, Commerce and Public Works
A decree of 23 June 1853 reinstated the Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce and Public Works.
23 June 1853 – 3 February 1855 : Pierre Magne3 February 1855 – 23 June 1863 : Eugène Rouher23 June 1863 – 20 January 1867 : Armand Béhic20 January 1867 – 17 December 1868 : Adolphe Forcade La Roquette17 December 1868 – 17 July 1869 : Edmond Valléry GressierMinisters of Agriculture and Commerce
A decree of 17 July 1869 reestablished the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce as it had been before the decree of 25 January 1852.
17 July 1869 – 2 January 1870 : Alfred Leroux2 January 1870 – 10 August 1870 : Charles Louvet de Couvray10 August 1870 – 4 September 1870 : Clément Aimé Jean Duvernois4 September 1870 – 19 February 1871 : Pierre Magnin19 February 1871 – 5 June 1871 : Félix Lambrecht5 June 1871 – 6 February 1872 : Victor Lefranc6 February 1872 – 23 April 1872 : Eugène de Goulard23 April 1872 – 25 May 1873 : Pierre Teisserenc de Bort25 May 1873 – 26 November 1873 : Joseph de la Bouillerie29 November 1873 – 22 May 1874 : Alfred Deseilligny22 May 1874 – 10 March 1875 : Louis Grivart10 March 1875 – 9 March 1876 : Marie Camille Alfred, vicomte de Meaux9 March 1876 – 17 May 1877 : Pierre Teisserenc de Bort17 May 1877 – 23 November 1877 : Marie Camille Alfred, vicomte de Meaux23 November 1877 – 13 December 1877 : Jules Ozenne13 December 1877 – 4 February 1879 : Pierre Teisserenc de Bort4 February 1879 – 4 March 1879 : Charles Lepère5 March 1879 – 10 November 1881 : Pierre Tirard – Agriculture and Commerce.Minister of Commerce and Colonies
14 November 1881 – 30 January 1882 : Maurice Rouvier – Commerce and Colonies30 January 1882 – 7 August 1882 : Pierre Tirard – Commerce7 August 1882 – 21 February 1883 : Pierre Legrand – Commerce21 February 1883 – 14 October 1884 : Anne Charles Hérisson – Commerce14 October 1884 – 6 April 1885 : Maurice Rouvier – Commerce6 April 1885 – 9 November 1885 : Pierre Legrand – Commerce9 November 1885 – 7 January 1886 : Lucien Dautresme – CommerceMinisters of Commerce and Industry
7 January 1886 – 30 May 1887 : Édouard Lockroy – Commerce and Industry30 May 1887 – 3 April 1888 : Lucien Dautresme – Commerce and Industry3 April 1888 – 22 February 1889 : Pierre Legrand – Commerce22 February 1889 – 17 March 1890 : Pierre Tirard – Commerce and Industry17 March 1890 – 6 December 1892 : Jules Roche6 December 1892 – 4 April 1893 : Jules Siegfried4 April 1893 – 3 December 1893 : Louis Terrier3 December 1893 – 30 May 1894 : Jean Marty30 May 1894 – 26 January 1895 : Victor Lourties26 January 1895 – 1 November 1895 : André Lebon1 November 1895 – 29 April 1896 : Gustave Mesureur29 April 1896 – 28 June 1898 : Henry Boucher28 June 1898 – 1 November 1898 : Émile Maruéjouls1 November 1898 – 22 June 1899 : Paul Delombre22 June 1899 – 7 June 1902 : Alexandre Millerand7 June 1902 – 24 January 1905 : Georges Trouillot24 January 1905 – 12 November 1905 : Fernand Dubief12 November 1905 – 14 March 1906 : Georges Trouillot14 March 1906 – 4 January 1908 : Gaston Doumergue4 January 1908 – 24 July 1909 : Jean Cruppi24 July 1909 – 2 March 1911 : Jean Dupuy2 March 1911 – 27 June 1911 : Alfred Massé27 June 1911 – 14 January 1912 : Maurice Couyba14 January 1912 – 21 January 1913 : Fernand David21 January 1913 – 22 March 1913 : Gabriel Guist'hauMinisters of Commerce, Industry, Posts, and Telegraphs
22 March 1913 – 9 December 1913 : Alfred Massé9 December 1913 – 17 March 1914 : Louis Malvy17 March 1914 – 9 June 1914 : Raoul Péret9 June 1914 – 13 June 1914 : Marc Réville13 June 1914 – 29 October 1915 : Gaston Thomson29 October 1915 – 16 November 1917 : Étienne Clémentel16 November 1917 – 5 May 1919 : Étienne Clémentel5 May 1919 – 27 November 1919 : Étienne Clémentel27 November 1919 – 20 January 1920 : Louis Dubois20 January 1920 – 16 January 1921 : Augustuste Isaac16 January 1921 – 29 March 1924 : Lucien Dior29 March 1924 – 9 June 1924 : Louis Loucheur9 June 1924 – 14 June 1924 : Pierre Étienne Flandin14 June 1924 – 17 April 1925 : Eugène Raynaldy17 April 1925 – 29 October 1925 : Charles Chaumet29 October 1925 – 23 June 1926 : Charles Daniel-Vincent23 June 1926 – 19 July 1926 : Fernand Chapsal19 July 1926 – 23 July 1926 : Louis Loucheur23 July 1926 – 2 September 1928 : Maurice Bokanowski14 September 1928 – 11 November 1928 : Henry ChéronMinisters of Commerce and Industry
11 November 1928 – 3 November 1929 : Georges Bonnefous3 November 1929 – 21 February 1930 : Pierre Étienne Flandin21 February 1930 – 2 March 1930 : Georges Bonnet2 March 1930 – 13 December 1930 : Pierre Étienne Flandin13 December 1930 – 27 January 1931 : Louis Loucheur27 January 1931 – 20 February 1932 : Louis Rollin20 February 1932 – 3 June 1932 : Louis Rollin3 June 1932 – 31 January 1933 : Julien Durand (Commerce and Industry)31 January 1933 – 26 October 1933 : Louis Serre26 October 1933 – 30 January 1934 : Laurent Eynac30 January 1934 – 9 February 1934 : Jean Mistler9 February 1934 – 8 November 1934 : Lucien Lamoureux8 November 1934 – 1 June 1935 : Paul Marchandeau1 June 1935 – 7 June 1935 : Laurent Eynac7 June 1935 – 4 June 1936 : Georges Bonnet4 June 1936 – 22 June 1937 : Paul Bastid22 June 1937 – 18 January 1938 : Fernand Chapsal18 January 1938 – 10 April 1938 : Pierre Cot (Commerce)10 April 1938 – 21 March 1940 : Fernand Gentin21 March 1940 – 18 May 1940 : Louis Rollin18 May 1940 – 5 June 1940 : Léon Baréty5 June 1940 – 16 June 1940 : Albert Chichery16 June 1940 – 12 July 1940 : Yves Bouthillier7 June 1943 – 9 November 1943 : André Diethelm (Commissaire)22 January 1947 – 11 August 1947 : Jean Letourneau11 August 1947 – 22 October 1947 : Robert Lacoste24 November 1947 – 7 February 1950 : Robert Lacoste7 February 1950 – 11 August 1951 : Jean-Marie Louvel11 August 1951 – 20 January 1952 : Pierre Pflimlin20 January 1952 – 8 March 1952 : Édouard Bonnefous8 March 1952 – 8 January 1953 : Jean-Marie Louvel8 January 1953 – 11 February 1953 : Paul Ribeyre11 February 1953 – 28 June 1953 : Guy Petit28 June 1953 – 19 June 1954 : Jean-Marie Louvel19 June 1954 – 3 September 1954 : Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury3 September 1954 – 23 February 1955 : Henri Ulver23 February 1955 – 1 February 1956 : André Morice6 November 1957 – 1 June 1958 : Paul Ribeyre9 June 1958 – 8 January 1959 : Édouard Ramonet8 January 1959 – 14 April 1962 : Jean-Marcel Jeanneney (Industry)6 July 1972 – 5 April 1973 : Yvon Bourges5 April 1973 – 1 March 1974 : Jean Royer1 March 1974 – 28 May 1974 : Yves Guéna (Industry, Commerce and Crafts)28 May 1974 – 25 August 1976 : Vincent Ansquer25 August 1976 – 30 March 1977 : Pierre Brousse30 March 1977 – 5 April 1978 : René Monory5 April 1978 – 4 July 1979 : Jacques Barrot4 July 1979 – 22 May 1981 : Maurice Charretier22 May 1981 – 22 March 1983 : André Delelis22 March 1983 – 19 February 1986 : Michel Crépeau19 February 1986 – 20 March 1986 : Jean-Marie Bockel29 March 1993 – 18 May 1995 : Alain Madelin18 May 1995 – 4 June 1997 : Jean-Pierre Raffarin (Small and Medium Enterprises, Commerce and Crafts)29 November 2004 – 31 May 2005: Christian Jacob (Small and Medium Enterprises, Commerce, Crafts, Liberal Professions and Consumer Affairs)