The French fastener and fastening tool industry continues to demonstrate strong resilience. Turnover grew by 16% in 2023, 4.4% in 2024, and a further 2.6% in the first half of 2025, driven mainly by price adjustments and stable market demand. Key end-use sectors include automotive, aerospace, construction, and public works. In particular, aircraft fleet renewals and building renovation projects are sustaining demand for high-performance fasteners. The gradual recovery of global air transport is also reinforcing long-term orders for premium bolts and nuts.

To reduce supply chain risks and enhance brand positioning, European manufacturers are accelerating production reshoring and localization. VT Fastware Group’s Vynex brand is progressively relocating the production of ROCKET construction screws from Asia back to its Thelonne plant in eastern France. The initial phase involves the return of approximately 25% of output, a €3 million investment, and the creation of 25–30 jobs. Such initiatives are supported by local authorities and the national France Relance recovery plan, which views fasteners as critical components for energy transition and construction safety, with growing emphasis on supply security, carbon footprint reduction, and traceability.

Meanwhile, rising European defense budgets—partly influenced by geopolitical tensions such as the Ukraine conflict—are driving increased demand in the aerospace and defense sectors. Precision manufacturers such as Decomatic supply more than two million screws, bolts, and fasteners annually to major groups including Dassault, Safran, and MBDA, strengthening competitiveness through advanced surface treatments and vertical integration. The global aerospace fastener market exceeded USD 6.3 billion in 2023 and is expected to grow at an annual rate of around 6%, with bolts and nuts accounting for over 40% of total demand.

For Chinese manufacturers, Europe’s industrial upgrading and supply-chain restructuring present new opportunities for deeper international collaboration. Companies with strengths in precision manufacturing, tooling and die development, heat treatment, and surface treatment can engage with European partners through technical cooperation and customized production. By enhancing quality management systems, product traceability, and low-carbon manufacturing capabilities, Chinese manufacturers are well positioned to access high-value segments such as aerospace, defense, and advanced construction fasteners, and to move further up the global fastener value chain.