* Trade deficit narrows in 2009 thanks to lower energy costs
* Lower exports to drag on Q4 GDP
* Euro strength not to blame
(Adds details throughout)
By Anna Willard
PARIS, Feb 5 (Reuters) - A cheaper energy bill helped reduce France's trade deficit in 2009, official data showed on Friday, but the sluggish world economy led to the sharpest fall in commerce in over 60 years.
The shortfall in December was 4.266 billion euros ($5.85 billion), down from 4.966 billion euros in November. That was smaller than the forecast of 4.6 billion euros.
The total for 2009 reached 43.031 billion euros, compared with a record 55.141 billion euros in 2008.
"2009 was an encouraging year, marked by a notable reduction in the trade deficit thanks to a large drop in the energy bill," Trade Minister Anne-Marie Idrac told Le Figaro newspaper.
Energy costs were 19.1 billion euros cheaper than the previous year as lower oil prices reduced the import bill.
However, the report said that 2009 saw the largest drop in trade since the end of the Second World War as the global economy slowed.
Exports slumped 17.1 percent and imports were down 17.7 percent. The falls came in most sectors with the car and intermediate goods industry the particularly hard-hit.
But France's pharmaceutical industry held up well, the customs office said, and exports of Airbus planes were up 2.0 percent compared to 2008 when measured in value.
DRAG ON GDP
Economists said the December number provided further proof that trade would be a drag on gross domestic product in the fourth quarter. Exports fell for the second month in a row, to 28.962 billion euros.
"On the quarter we will have a very negative contribution to growth... which will be counterbalanced a bit by the positive contribution from consumption," said BNP Paribas economist Dominique Barbet. Q4 GDP data will be released on Feb. 12.
France is the world's fifth largest exporter but has been struggling to keep its position.
President Nicolas Sarkozy has blamed the strong euro for weak French exports. He has called for a new world monetary system that relies less on the U.S. dollar and in which the euro does not bear the brunt of adjustments in other currencies.
The G7 leading economies are due to meet in Canada later on Friday. Economy Minister Christine Lagarde has said she wants to discuss imbalances between world currencies. [ID:nPAB008153]
Company bosses, including Louis Gallois, head of European
planemaker Airbus
However, economists point to the trade surplus in neighbouring Germany and say that lack of competitiveness is the main problem for French companies.
"You can't blame the euro, the main problem is the deindustrialisation of France," said Barbet.
Underscoring this lack of competitiveness, France registered a 2.8 billion euro trade deficit with its other euro zone partners in December.
Separate budget ministry data showed the budget deficit soared to 138 billion euros at the end of 2009 compared to 56.3 billion euros the previous year, as the government pumped money into the economy to help it through the global financial crisis.
(For more stories on Sarkozy and France please double click on [ID:nECONOMYFR]
(For previous stories on trade balance, please click on [FRTBAL=ECI-M]) (Additional reporting by Crispian Balmer and James Mackenzie; Editing by Andy Bruce and Toby Chopra)