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Foreign trade figures of Germany

Foreign Trade in Figures

Germany is an export-oriented economy, with trade representing around 79% of its GDP (World Bank, 2025). The automotive industry is the backbone of German exports: in 2025, the main exports were motor cars (10.0%), medicaments (4.1%), parts and accessories for motor vehicles (3.5%), vaccines and other blood products (3.0%), aircraft (1.6%), and medical instruments (1.2%). The main imports were motor cars (5.0%), parts and accessories for motor vehicles (3.2%), medicaments (2.8%), crude oil (2.6%), vaccines and other blood products (2.4%), and petroleum gas (2.2% - data Comtrade).

In 2025, Germany’s primary export destination was the U.S., which accounted for 9.4% of the total, followed by France (7.5%), the Netherlands (7.1%), Poland (6.4%), and Italy (5.3%). Imports came chiefly from China (12.9%), ahead of the U.S. (6.8%), the Netherlands (6.4%), Poland (5.9%), and Italy (5.3% - data Comtrade). With a foreign trade turnover of EUR 251.8 billion, China was again Germany's most important trading partner in 2025, taking over the top position from the United States (EUR 240.5 billion), as imports from China kept rising while exports to the U.S. fell. Germany remains the key trading partner for EU countries: in 2025, it was the leading destination for merchandise exports from 16 of the 26 other Member States (Destatis).

The country’s trade balance is structurally positive. According to Destatis, in 2025, Germany exported goods worth EUR 1,562.9 billion (+0.9%) and imported goods worth EUR 1,362.5 billion (+4.3%), reducing the export surplus to EUR 200.4 billion from EUR 242.9 billion in 2024. 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 2025, imports totalled USD 601.6 billion against USD 518.0 billion in exports (WTO).

 
Foreign Trade Values 20212022202320242025
Imports of Goods (million USD) 1,411,4391,583,6191,467,5981,414,1531,542,796
Exports of Goods (million USD) 1,627,3751,676,4721,702,2781,676,4081,764,188
Imports of Services (million USD) 408,081477,657525,077562,048600,970
Exports of Services (million USD) 412,614442,147459,186485,569517,893

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

Foreign Trade Indicators 20212022202320242025
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 79.988.882.079.178.5
Trade Balance (million USD) 222,509132,962243,653256,347206,906
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) 227,41698,674177,612179,675123,353
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 9.37.6-1.4-0.63.6
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 10.23.9-1.4-2.1-0.4
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 37.443.239.037.738.1
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 42.545.643.041.440.4

Source: World Bank ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Forecasts 2026 (e)2027 (e)2028 (e)2029 (e)2030 (e)
Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) -0.21.82.82.82.6
Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) 1.82.33.33.33.1

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)
2025
United States 9.4%
France 7.5%
Netherlands 7.1%
Poland 6.4%
Italy 5.3%
See More Countries 64.4%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2025
China 12.9%
United States 6.8%
Netherlands 6.4%
Poland 5.9%
Italy 5.3%
See More Countries 62.7%

Source: Comtrade, 2026. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

Main Products

1,773.8 bn USD of products exported in 2025
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) 10.0%
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) 4.1%
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. 3.5%
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 3.0%
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 77.7%
1,549.7 bn USD of products imported in 2025
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) 5.0%
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. 3.2%
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) 2.8%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude 2.6%
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 2.4%
See More Products 84.0%

Source: Comtrade, 2026. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

To go further, check out our service Import-Export Flows.

 

Main Services

471.8 bn USD of services exported in 2024
27.04%
20.87%
11.45%
9.72%
8.50%
8.50%
4.75%
3.29%
3.14%
1.24%
0.92%
0.59%
551.9 bn USD of services imported in 2024
27.26%
21.79%
19.97%
11.85%
5.08%
4.81%
3.10%
2.41%
1.42%
1.27%
0.65%
0.37%

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2026. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

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Latest Update: October 2026