The United States, with a foreign trade surplus of 252.8 billion euros, became Germany’s most important trading partner in 2024 for the first time since 2015. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced this on Wednesday.
China, with a foreign trade value of 246.3 billion euros, came in second, a decrease of 3.1% compared to the previous year, mainly due to a decline in exports to China. China had been Germany’s most important trading partner from 2016 to 2023.
The Netherlands, with a foreign trade value of 205.7 billion euros, came in third, a decrease of 4.2% compared to the previous year.
Germany’s most important export destinations in 2024 were the United States, with a value of 161.4 billion euros, a 2.2% increase and France, with a value of 116.2 billion euros, a 3.0% decrease.
The value of imports from China decreased by 0.3% to 156.3 billion euros, while the value of exports to China decreased by 7.6% to 90.0 billion euros, resulting in a trade deficit of 66.3 billion euros. China remained the most important supplier of goods to Germany, as it had since 2015.
The German automotive industry exported fewer vehicles and vehicle parts in 2024 than in the previous year, with a value of 262.0 billion euros, a 4.0% decrease. Vehicles and vehicle parts remained Germany’s most important export goods.
The most important import goods for Germany in 2024 were vehicles and vehicle parts, with a value of 142.1 billion euros, a 5.8% decrease, followed by data processing equipment, electrical and optical products, with a value of 134.3 billion euros, a 6.7% decrease and electrical equipment, with a value of 104.0 billion euros, a 7.2% decrease.
Germany’s total exports in 2024 were worth 1.556.0 billion euros, a 1.2% decrease and imports were worth 1.316.9 billion euros, a 3.0% decrease, resulting in a trade surplus of 239.1 billion euros, an increase of 21.4 billion euros compared to the previous year.