Agency Report –
Berlin – The United States last year pushed out China from the top spot among countries trading with Germany for the first time since 2016, according to a report from a German government agency seen by dpa on Sunday.
Total imports and exports from and to the US came in at €255 billion ($262 billion), some €8 billion more than the comparable figure for China, according to an unpublished survey by Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI).
The provisional figures put the Netherlands in third place, followed by France and Poland. The Dutch figures are boosted by Germany’s use of the Port of Rotterdam.
The GTAI said that Germany could be caught between two stools in the event of trade conflict and an increase in tariffs pledged by the new US administration under Donald Trump.
“It remains unclear how much the US under Trump will target the European Union and so Germany as well in their trade policy,” the report says. It adds that worsening trade conflict between the US and China could result in pressure from the US on Germany to support US policy.
In 2022, total trade between Germany and China came in at almost €300 billion. Exports to China have fallen sharply, by around 6.4%, while imports declined by just 0.6%. China is now in fifth place for German exports, but remains the unchallenged leader in imports into Germany.
The GTAI attributed the change to a weak Chinese economy, while the US economy was benefiting from investment programmes.
Germany’s foreign trade declined by around 2% in 2024, with vehicles and vehicle parts exports to China strongly affected.
The report said German business was looking for alternatives, including Vietnam. Trade between Vietnam and Germany rose more than 11% in 2024.
Poland could become an important market, and trade with the United Kingdom was recovering after Brexit, it added.
By Leonard Fischer
