The star CAC 40 index fell 106.85 points to 6,448.96 points around 10:10 a.m.
On Monday, it finished up slightly by 0.12%, doing well in the midst of other falling European stock markets.
Wall Street ended sharply lower on Monday, weighed down by rising bond rates, while US inflation figures for March will be released on Tuesday.
The White House has warned that the price hike is expected to be "extraordinarily high", due to additional price spikes related to the war in Ukraine.
In February, consumer prices had already climbed 7.9% over one year, the highest since 1982, according to the CPI index.
To curb the acceleration of inflation, the American central bank (Fed) started in mid-March to raise its key rates and warned that it would continue to tighten its monetary policy in the months to come.
Investor fears over monetary policy were causing interest rates to rise in the bond market, which is weighing on stock prices.
In Germany, inflation in March reached a level not seen for more than 40 years, at 7.3% according to final figures published on Tuesday.
A ominous indicator ahead of Thursday's monetary policy meeting of the European Central Bank.
In France, the electoral campaign continues after the first round of the presidential election which saw outgoing President Emmanuel Macron ahead of far-right candidate Marine Le Pen by 4.7 points.
But the subject does not seem to worry investors, according to analysts at Saxo Bank.
Carmat raises funds
The French company Carmat announced on Tuesday that it had raised funds of 40.5 million euros which should allow it to resume the implantations of its artificial heart, suspended at the end of 2021. The news did not please investors, the action losing 16.87% to 10.35 euros.
© 2022 AFP