China has one more time become Germany's most crucial trading partner

China again overtaken United States as Germany's most crucial trading partner. According to the calculations of the national Statistical Office, in 2025 the full value of imports and exports to and from the German People's Republic amounted to EUR 251,8 billion. An increase of 2.1% made China, which was Germany's most crucial trading partner continuously from 2016 to 2023, again overtake the United States, which in 2024 ranked first.

"The latest trade data reflect geo-economic changes that German manufacture is increasingly struggling with," he said. Sebastian Dullien, technological manager of the Institute for Macroeconomic investigation and Conjunction Cycles (IMK) . "China and the United States effort to reduce dependence on industrial imports through aggressive industrial and commercial policies". China seeks to become a global marketplace leader in key sectors in which Germany has long held a leading position. German companies are presently being pushed out of the marketplace by state-supported Chinese producers.

USA remains the most crucial customer

Even though the tariff dispute over Donald Trump's presidency hampered German trade with the United States last year , the United States remained the second most crucial trading partner Germany, despite a 5% drop, with a abroad trade volume of EUR 240,5 billion.

The higher duties and the aggressive trade policy of Trump did not change the fact that, as in the erstwhile 10 years, the United States remained the most crucial single marketplace for goods "Made in Germany" in 2025. German companies sold to the US goods worth EUR 146.2 billion, 9.4% little than in the erstwhile year. crucial decreases (-17.8%) were recorded in the car and spare parts segment. France ranked second among the most crucial German export markets and then the Netherlands. China only took sixth place.

China is the largest supplier

Chinese products dominate import to Germany Since 2015: last year China was by far the most crucial supplier to Germany, with an import of EUR 170.6 billion (+8.8%) – ahead of Holland and the United States. "The rising tensions between the US and China besides origin problems for the German economy," said IMK manager Dullien. "Higher trade barriers for Chinese supplies to the US mean that these goods are besides diverted to Europe". This is reflected in increased German imports from China and increases the competitive force for German companies on the home market. On the another hand, US producers benefit from easier access to the EU marketplace and increased their exports to Germany by 2.7%.

The largest share of imports of goods from China was data processing equipment and electrical and optical products worth EUR 50.9 billion (+4.9 %), followed by electrical equipment (EUR 32.8 billion; +14.8%) and machines (11.9 billion; +11.6%). Exports to China amounted to EUR 81.3 billion – 9.7% little than in the erstwhile year. China presently produces many products, specified as cars that were previously imported from Germany. In 2025 China ranked sixth among the most crucial recipients of German exports.