In October 1940, Free French General Charles de Gaulle paid a visit to Chad and meet with Éboué in Fort-Lamy (present date N'Djamena).

French private and government investors owned a substantial portion of Chad's industrial and financial institutions, and the French treasury backed the Bank of Central African States (Banque des Etats de l'Afrique Centrale—BEAC), which served as the central bank for Chad and six other member nations.

Chad's dependence on France declined slightly during Habré's tenure as president, in part because other foreign donors and investors returned as the war subsided and also because increased rainfall since 1985 improved food production.

In 1990, France (along with Libya and Sudan) gave extensive support to the successful coup d'état attempt by Idriss Déby, who took the presidency from Hissene Habré.

[6] In 2008, President Nicolas Sarkozy stated that France's relationship with Chad, since it was established in an era with a different political landscape, should be re-negotiated or ended.

[8] France maintains an air force base at N'Djamena International Airport where it has launched humanitarian and counter-terrorism missions to the Central African Republic, Mali and Niger.

[13] Per a government statement, Chad wants to maintain "constructive relations with France in other areas of common interest, for the benefit of both peoples".

France's main exports to Chad include: medicine, flour, cereals, electronic equipment and automobiles.

[23] French multinational companies such as Air France, Le Méridien, Novotel, Société Générale and Total S.A. operate in Chad.