French culture expects customer-supplier exchanges to be fair to both parties. Suppliers should not gouge; customers should not squeeze. Power to exploit may exist—the stronger party could extract from the weaker—but exploitation violates how exchange should work.
The customer who uses power to damage suppliers, the supplier who exploits customer necessity—both act wrongly even if they succeed economically. French exchange culture reflects the just price tradition where commerce should be governed by ethics, not merely market power. When dealing with French counterparts, seek terms that work for both sides. Fair exchange builds sustainable relationships and maintains the trust that makes business possible. Exploitation may succeed short-term but damages the fabric that supports ongoing exchange.
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