It was the first time since 2016 that someone displaced China from the top spot.
Last year, for the first time since 2016, the United States displaced China from the position of Germany’s largest trading partner. TASR informs about it based on the report of the DPA agency.
According to an unpublished survey by the development agency Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI), total German imports and exports from and to the US reached 255 billion euros, which was about 8 billion euros more than the value of mutual trade with China.
According to preliminary data, the Netherlands was Germany’s third largest trading partner last year, followed by France and Poland. Trade with the Netherlands was supported by the use of the port of Rotterdam.
Germany may face conflict
GTAI said Germany could be caught between two chairs in the event of a trade conflict and tariff hikes promised by US President-elect Donald Trump.
“It is not clear to what extent the US under Trump’s leadership will focus its trade policy on the European Union, and thus on Germany,” the GTAI report states. The escalation of the trade conflict between the US and China could, according to the agency, make Washington will pressure Germany to support US policy.
Even in 2022, the value of trade between Germany and China was almost 300 billion euros. Currently, the drop in exports to China is particularly significant, having fallen by approximately 6.4% last year. According to the GTAI, one of the reasons is the continued weakness of the Chinese economy, while the US has benefited from investment programs and a strong economy. Germany’s foreign trade as a whole fell by around 2% in 2024.
