Why was most of Madagascar's colonial trade conducted with France?

During the colonial period, Madagascar’s trade was heavily oriented toward France primarily due to the administrative and economic policies implemented by the French colonial government. Following the annexation of the island in 1896, French authorities replaced local leadership with French administrators and established infrastructure, such as railroads and seaports, to facilitate economic development and resource extraction.12

A key factor driving this trade imbalance was the implementation of customs duties that explicitly favored French products. Furthermore, the colonial economy was structured around exporting agricultural products and raw materials—such as coffee, vanilla, cloves, and tobacco—to France, while the island’s development was supported by loans contracted in France. These systemic policies ensured that, by the interwar period, three-quarters of all trade was conducted with France.12