Trade

In the XVIIIth century, La Rochelle became the main commercial port as far as fur trade is concerned. Leather and fur, traded with the Amerindians, would arrive in La Rochelle and then be carried away in France and in Europe through the sea, the river or the land. In exchange, the region of Poitou-Charentes exported salt, wine, brandy, to the New-France.
The river Richelieu, beinng a continuation of the Saint Lawrence river, was then a major road for the commerce. It was all the same in France with the river Charente, that was a major way of communication with the inside land. The “gabarres”, long boats that were used to carry goods on rivers, are a symbol of the region of Poitou Charente.
Rochefort played a military role rather than a commercial one. This second most important port-city in Charente Maritime participated much in equipping militarily the french Canada, and a lot of soldiers departed from there. However Rochefort imported a lot of wood from Canada too, so as to build its own arsenal. Nowadays, there are still commecial links between the two reggions. Indeed the counties of Charente and Charente Maritime in the region of Poitou Charente carry on exporting Cognac and Pineau to Northern America and to Québec. And Québec still exports wood to France.