China has once again overtaken the US as Germany's largest trading partner. In 2025, the volume of imports and exports between Berlin and Beijing amounted to 251.8 billion euros ($296.6 billion), according to data from Germany's Federal Statistical Office “Destatis“, cited by DPA, BTA reported.
With a growth of 2.1 percent, China, which was Germany's largest trading partner in the period 2016-2023, has again overtaken the US, which held first place in 2024. German trade with the US was affected last year by the dispute over tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Despite a 5 percent decline, the United States remains Germany's second-largest trading partner with a trade turnover of 240.5 billion euros.
Despite higher tariffs and Trump's aggressive trade policy, the United States continues to be the largest market for German goods in 2025. German companies sold goods worth 146.2 billion euros, a 9.4 percent drop compared to the previous year, with the most serious decrease observed in cars and related parts (-17.8 percent).
France ranks second as a destination for German exporters, followed by the Netherlands, and China is only sixth in the ranking.
Chinese products have dominated German imports since 2015. Last year, Beijing was again the largest exporter to Germany, worth 170.6 billion euros, an increase of 8.8 percent, ahead of the Netherlands and the United States.
Economists note that the tariff dispute has also affected Chinese exports, with Beijing redirecting goods to Europe, including Germany, because of the US-imposed tariffs.
For its part, American manufacturers are taking advantage of easier access to the EU market and increased their exports to Germany by 2.7 percent last year.