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Foreign trade figures of Germany

Foreign Trade in Figures

Germany is an export-oriented economy, with trade representing around 83% of its GDP (World Bank, latest data available), and the country is both the world’s third-largest importer and exporter. Germany is by far the world’s largest exporter of automobiles: motor vehicles and parts made up 17.3% of the country’s exports in 2023 (EUR 273 billion), making them the top export product. Machinery (14.4%) and chemical products (9.0%) followed in second and third place, respectively, among the leading export items (Destatis). In the same year, the main imported categories were electrical machinery and equipment (14.9%), machinery and mechanical appliances (12.1%), vehicles (10.8%), and mineral fuels and oils (9%).

In 2023, Germany’s primary export destination was the U.S. which accounted for 10% of the total, followed by France (7.6%), the Netherlands (7.1%), China (6.2%), and Poland (5.8%). Imports came chiefly from China (11.6%), ahead of the Netherlands (7.6%), the U.S. (7%) Poland and Italy (6% and 5.3%, respectively). Overall, the People's Republic of China remained Germany's most important trading partner for the eighth consecutive year in 2023, with a foreign trade volume of EUR 253.1 billion. However, the trade volume with China was just EUR 0.7 billion higher than that with the United States, which stood at EUR 252.3 billion. Germany remains the key trading partner for EU countries: in 2023, it was the leading destination for merchandise exports from 15 of the 27 other Member States (Destatis).

The country’s trade balance is structurally positive. According to the latest figures from the national statistical office Destatis, in 2023, Germany saw a decrease in both exports and imports: goods exported amounted to EUR 1,575 billion, marking a 1.1% fall, while imports totalled EUR 1,356 billion, reflecting a 9.9% decrease compared to one year earlier. As the drop in imports was much more pronounced than the drop in exports, the export surplus more than doubled from the previous year. The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of EUR 218.5 billion in 2023. In regards to Germany’s vast trade surplus, since 2014 the European Commission has encouraged the country to favour internal demand dynamics instead of exports, in order to mitigate the existing “macroeconomic imbalance” in the EU (as per the Commission rules, EU countries should not have an external trade surplus of more than 6% of their GDP). Germany is generally a net importer of commercial services: in 2023, imports totalled USD 508.2 billion against USD 440.1 billion in imports (WTO). According to preliminary figures from Destatis, in the period Jan-Nov 2024, Germany exported EUR 1,427.8 billion worth of goods, against EUR 1,108 billion in imports (-1.4% and -11.4% year-on-year, respectively).

 
Foreign Trade Values 20192020202120222023
Imports of Goods (million USD) 1,233,9781,171,7821,421,5121,582,5951,462,602
Exports of Goods (million USD) 1,489,4121,382,5331,636,7421,675,8471,688,419
Imports of Services (million USD) 376,540326,196405,468468,260508,225
Exports of Services (million USD) 356,277333,894407,654430,527440,113

Source: World Trade Organisation (WTO) ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Indicators 20182019202020212022
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 88.587.780.488.798.6
Trade Balance (million USD) 263,292245,868219,238230,563118,588
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) 244,736230,802227,764236,60987,555
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 4.02.9-8.59.06.0
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 2.21.3-9.39.72.9
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 41.241.037.441.748.3
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 47.346.743.047.050.3

Source: World Bank ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Forecasts 20242025 (e)2026 (e)2027 (e)2028 (e)
Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) -0.12.02.93.13.0
Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) -1.12.33.03.33.3

Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook ; Latest available data

Note: (e) Estimated Data

 
International Economic Cooperation
Germany is a member of the following international economic organisations:  ICC, European Union, WTO, European Economic Area, G-6, G-7, G-8, G-10, G-20, IMF, OECD, among others. For the full list of economic and other international organisations in which participates Germany click here. International organisation membership of Germany is also outlined here.
Free Trade Agreements
The complete and up-to-date list of Free Trade Agreements signed by Germany can be consulted here.
 

Main Partner Countries

Main Customers
(% of Exports)
2023
United States 10.1%
France 7.4%
Netherlands 7.0%
China 6.2%
Poland 5.7%
See More Countries 63.5%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2023
China 11.8%
Netherlands 7.2%
United States 6.9%
Poland 5.9%
Italy 5.2%
See More Countries 63.0%

Source: Comtrade, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

Main Products

1,697.4 bn USD of products exported in 2023
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 10.5%
Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed...Medicaments consisting of mixed or unmixed products for therapeutic or prophylactic uses, put up in measured doses "incl. those in the form of transdermal administration" or in forms or packings for retail sale (excl. goods of heading 3002, 3005 or 3006) 4.0%
Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles...Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles for the transport of ten or more persons, motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, motor vehicles for the transport of goods and special purpose motor vehicles of heading 8701 to 8705, n.e.s. 3.9%
Human blood; animal blood prepared for therapeutic...Human blood; animal blood prepared for therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic uses; antisera and other blood fractions and immunological products, whether or not modified or obtained by means of biotechnological processes; vaccines, toxins, cultures of micro-organisms (excl. yeasts) and similar products 2.8%
Powered aircraft "e.g. helicopters and aeroplanes...Powered aircraft "e.g. helicopters and aeroplanes"; spacecraft, incl. satellites, and suborbital and spacecraft launch vehicles 1.6%
See More Products 77.3%
1,469.3 bn USD of products imported in 2023
Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally...Motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, incl. station wagons and racing cars (excl. motor vehicles of heading 8702) 5.4%
Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles...Parts and accessories for tractors, motor vehicles for the transport of ten or more persons, motor cars and other motor vehicles principally designed for the transport of persons, motor vehicles for the transport of goods and special purpose motor vehicles of heading 8701 to 8705, n.e.s. 3.2%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude 3.1%
Human blood; animal blood prepared for therapeutic...Human blood; animal blood prepared for therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic uses; antisera and other blood fractions and immunological products, whether or not modified or obtained by means of biotechnological processes; vaccines, toxins, cultures of micro-organisms (excl. yeasts) and similar products 2.5%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals (excl. crude); preparations containing >= 70% by weight of petroleum oils or of oils obtained from bituminous minerals, these oils being the basic constituents of the preparations, n.e.s.; waste oils containing mainly petroleum or bituminous minerals 2.2%
See More Products 83.7%

Source: Comtrade, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

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Main Services

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2024. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

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Latest Update: February 2025