Trading Partners : Germany

Germany’s most important trading partners are the Western industrialized nations: In 1996 these countries accounted for 76.1 percent of the Federal Republic’s exports and 75.5 of its imports.
The progressive economic integration of the European Union (EU) has greatly increased intra-European trade. In 1996 the EU countries accounted for 55.5 percent of Germany’s exports and 53.7 percent of its imports.
Germany’s most important trading partner continues to be France. In 1996 the Federal Republic exported goods worth approximately DM 84 billion to that country, whereas imports from France totaled about DM 71 billion. The United States has meanwhile become the third largest market (after France and the United Kingdom) for German products, spending DM 60.1 billion in 1996.

In terms of Germany’s imports, the United States ranks fourth (DM 49 billion) after France, the Netherlands and Italy, fhe Federal Republic posted an exceptional increase in its external trade with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe in 1996, importing and exporting goods worth a total of DM 100.6 billion (12.5 percent more than in 1995). While its exports rose 19.5 percent to DM 55.5 billion, its imports increased less markedly, rising five percent to DM 45.1 billion. Poland has solidified its position as Germany’s most important trading partner in Eastern Europe: With a trade volume of DM 28.6 billion in 1996 (an increase of 13.7 percent), it ranks ahead of Russia.

The volume of Germany’s trade with Russia totaled DM26.9 billion in 1996 (an increase of 12.3 percent). Dynamic increases were likewise posted in its trade with the Czech Republic (12.6 percent), Slovakia (14.1 percent) and Hungary (16.7 percent).

All in all, Germany does 70 to 75 percent of its trade with European countries, about 13 percent with the Asia-Pacific region, about eight percent with North America, and about two percent each with Africa and Latin America. Its largest trade imbalance for many years has been with Japan. Whereas Germany imported goods worth DM 34.1 billion from Japan in 1996, Japan spent only DM 21.1 billion in Germany.