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Foreign trade figures of Germany

Foreign Trade in Figures

Trade represents 89% of Germany’s GDP (World Bank 2021, up from 81% one year earlier), and the country is both the world’s third-largest importer and exporter. The country is by far the world’s largest exporter of automobiles (with a value of EUR 117.6 in 2021 - Destatis).  In 2021, the four largest groups of exported goods made up almost half of the country’s exports: vehicles and vehicle parts (15.3%), machinery (14.2%), chemical products (10%) and computer/electrical and optical equipment (8.8%). The main imported goods were computer/electrical and optical equipment (10.7%), vehicles and vehicle parts (9.5%), chemical products (7.8%), machinery (7.6%), electrical equipment (6.9%) and metals (6.4% - BMWi).

In 2021, Germany’s primary trade partner was the European Union which accounted for 67.5% of exports and 65.6% of imports (BMWi). Accounting for 8.9% of German exports, the U.S. remained Germany’s most important export market in 2021, followed closely by China (7.6%), France (7.4%) and the Netherlands (6.6%). Imports came chiefly from China (11.9%), ahead of the Netherlands and the U.S. (7.6% and 6.1%, respectively). Germany continues to be the “most open” economy of the G7 countries.

The country’s trade balance is structurally positive: according to the latest figures from the national statistical office Destatis, Germany’s surplus on the trade of goods declined for the fifth consecutive year, falling to EUR172.5 billion (was EUR 180.4 billion in 2020); 62.9% of the overall trade surplus was with the EU-27, with the eurozone accounting for a share of 46.5%. 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). Data from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs shows that in 2021 the country exported goods worth USD 1.370 billion (an increase of 15.2% year-on-year), importing a total of USD 1.180 billion (+18%). Germany is generally a net importer of commercial services: in 2021, however, the country exported USD 319.7 billion worth of services, while imports were slightly lower, at USD 317.3 billion.
In 2022, the German export surplus was at its lowest level since 2000 as it went down by more than half to EUR 79.7 billion from EUR 175.3 billion one year earlier, mostly due to the steep rise in the cost of energy imports (Destatis).

 
Foreign Trade Values 20172018201920202021
Imports of Goods (million USD) 1,162,9071,284,3531,233,9781,170,4411,420,129
Exports of Goods (million USD) 1,448,1911,560,5391,489,4121,380,6471,631,931
Imports of Services (million USD) 329,246371,207369,368307,130381,033
Exports of Services (million USD) 303,366344,033341,078305,169377,236

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

Foreign Trade Indicators 20172018201920202021
Foreign Trade (in % of GDP) 87.288.587.780.488.7
Trade Balance (million USD) 288,053263,292241,286218,002227,904
Trade Balance (Including Service) (million USD) 260,592244,737221,128221,117228,573
Imports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 5.24.02.9-8.59.0
Exports of Goods and Services (Annual % Change) 4.92.21.3-9.39.7
Imports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 40.141.241.037.441.7
Exports of Goods and Services (in % of GDP) 47.247.346.743.047.0

Source: World Bank ; Latest available data

Foreign Trade Forecasts 20222023 (e)2024 (e)2025 (e)2026 (e)
Volume of exports of goods and services (Annual % change) 3.02.53.23.63.4
Volume of imports of goods and services (Annual % change) 6.12.83.73.73.4

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)
2022
United States 9.9%
France 7.3%
Netherlands 6.8%
China 6.8%
Poland 5.7%
See More Countries 63.4%
Main Suppliers
(% of Imports)
2022
China 13.0%
Netherlands 7.6%
United States 6.2%
Poland 5.2%
Italy 4.8%
See More Countries 63.2%

Source: Comtrade, 2023. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

 
 

Main Products

1,665.6 bn USD of products exported in 2022
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) 9.4%
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) 4.5%
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. 3.6%
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 2.7%
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 1.5%
See More Products 78.2%
1,577.6 bn USD of products imported in 2022
Petroleum gas and other gaseous hydrocarbonsPetroleum gas and other gaseous hydrocarbons 4.9%
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) 4.3%
Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous...Petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude 4.0%
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 2.6%
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. 2.5%
See More Products 81.6%

Source: Comtrade, 2023. 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

287.1 bn USD of services exported in 2020
32.33%
18.24%
12.86%
10.85%
7.70%
7.05%
4.84%
2.39%
1.90%
1.03%
0.81%
292.8 bn USD of services imported in 2020
33.41%
21.56%
13.41%
13.28%
5.76%
4.29%
2.85%
2.33%
1.90%
0.64%
0.55%

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, 2023. Because of rounding, the sum of the percentages may be smaller/greater than 100%.

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Latest Update: September 2023

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