Historical chart and dataset showing Germany trade balance by year from 1970 to 2023.

Germany recorded a trade surplus of 18.40 EUR Billion in May of 2025. This dataset provides - Germany Balance of Trade - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The statistic shows Germany's trade balance of goods from 2014 to 2024. Trade balance is the value of exported goods minus the value of imported goods. A positive trade balance signifies a trade surplus, while a negative value signifies a trade deficit. In 2024, Germany's trade surplus amounted to around ****** billion U.S. dollars.

In 2023, China was the country with the highest trade surplus, with approximately ****** billion U.S. dollars. The leading trade nations Typically a trade surplus indicates a sign of economic success and a trade deficit indicates an economic weakness. However, if that were true, then the top four, China, Germany, Russia and Ireland, would be considered the best performing countries in the world. However, this would mean that the United States, Great Britain, India and France would be among the weakest nations considering that they are four countries with the highest trade deficit. In fact, they are leading industrial nations. While China is known for producing and exporting products at a competitive price, it has undervalued its exchange rate in order to promote exports. However, China is now working to reduce its reliance on exports even though they continue to export large and increasing quantities of goods. In the case of Germany, the value of the euro may not be high enough, however growth concerning the value of exports has slowed over the past few years. In contrast, the value of the dollar in the United States may be too high, favoring imports as opposed to exports.

Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Total data was reported at 8,267.918 PJ in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 9,450.344 PJ for 2019. Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Total data is updated yearly, averaging 9,684.781 PJ from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2020, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10,834.206 PJ in 2006 and a record low of 8,267.918 PJ in 2020. Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Total data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.RB004: Energy Trade Balance.

The European Union has moved from a trade deficit for goods during the period from 2004 until the end of the Great Recession (2008-2010), to a substantial trade surplus over the later 2010s and early 2020s. The EU had been running a trade deficit as consumption was high during the economic boom which led up to the recession and Eurozone crisis (2010-2012), while the Euro had been appreciating against other currencies during this time, making exports less attractive for trading partners and imports less expensive in Eurozone countries. With the dampening of global demand during the recession, Europe's deficit contracted, with the dramatic reduction in imports outweighing the reduction in exports to the rest of the world. Later, during the 2010s, the EU began to run a trade surplus due to the suppressed demand for imports in the EU via economic policies which favored austerity and lower consumption, a depreciating Euro after 2014 which made EU exports cheaper for trading partners, and structural policies of EU member states, such as Germany, who have prioritized the competitiveness of their export sectors.

The United States recorded a trade deficit of 71.52 USD Billion in May of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - United States Balance of Trade - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Germany's total Exports in 2024 were valued at US$1.69 Trillion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Germany's main export partners were: the United States, France and the Netherlands. The top three export commodities were: Vehicles other than railway, tramway; Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers and Electrical, electronic equipment. Total Imports were valued at US$1.43 Trillion. In 2024, Germany had a trade surplus of US$258.07 Billion.

In 2024, China's merchandise trade surplus amounted to around 992.2 billion U.S. dollars, significantly higher than in the previous year. The merchandise trade balance is the value of exported goods minus the value of imported goods. A positive value indicates a trade surplus, while a negative value indicates a trade deficit. Trade balance and partnersIn 2024, Chinese imports of goods amounted to approximately 2.59 trillion U.S. dollars, whereas total exports added up to about 3.58 trillion U.S. dollars. In contrast, China’s invisible trade balance, an indicator measuring services and government transfers between countries, closed with a deficit and ranged at about -92 billion U.S. dollars at the end of 2022. Being an economy heavily reliant on export, China ranked first among countries with the highest trade surplus, followed by Germany and Russia. The United States, with imports exceeding exports by approximately 1.15 trillion U.S. dollars that year, ranked first among leading import countries worldwide. In 2023, the value of the U.S. imports from China exceeded the exports to China by around 279.4 billion U.S. dollars. Another important trade partner for China is the European Union. In 2023, the EU imported around 514 billion euro-worth of goods from China, leading to a trade deficit of around 291 billion euros. Product categories with the highest trade deficit were mostly finished goods such as machinery and transport equipment, clothing, and other manufactures, whereas product categories with a more balanced trade sheet consisted of raw materials and agricultural products to a large extent.

Key information about Germany Total Exports

• Germany Total Exports dropped 0.1 % YoY in Jan 2025, compared with an increase of 3.9 % YoY in the previous month
• Germany Total Exports Growth data is updated monthly, available from Jan 1951 to Jan 2025, with an averaged rate of 7.5 %
• The data reached an all-time high of 107.4 % in Feb 1951 and a record low of -31.0 % in Apr 2020

CEIC calculates Total Exports Growth from monthly Total Exports. Federal Statistics Office Germany provides Total Exports, FOB, in EUR. Total Exports Growth prior to January 1990 covers West Germany only and prior to January 1960 excludes Saarland.


Further information about Germany Total Exports

• In the latest reports, Germany Total Exports recorded 133.8 USD bn in Jan 2025
• Total Imports recorded 117.2 USD bn in Jan 2025, which registered an increase of 8.7 % year on year
• Germany Trade Balance recorded a surplus of 16.6 USD bn in Jan 2025

Germany recorded a Current Account surplus of 9587.04 EUR Million in May of 2025. This dataset provides - Germany Current Account - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Germany - General gov. deficit (-) and surplus (+) was -2.30% in March of 2025, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Germany - General gov. deficit (-) and surplus (+) - last updated from the EUROSTAT on July of 2025. Historically, Germany - General gov. deficit (-) and surplus (+) reached a record high of 2.10% in June of 2019 and a record low of -8.30% in June of 2020.

Trade in services (% of GDP) of Germany went up by 2.06% from 21.5 % in 2023 to 22.0 % in 2024. Since the 11.46% drop in 2020, trade in services (% of GDP) rocketed by 31.14% in 2024. Trade in services is the sum of service exports and imports divided by the value of GDP, all in current U.S. dollars.

Germany - Net trade balance of energy products was EUR-1.70 Million in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Germany - Net trade balance of energy products - last updated from the EUROSTAT on July of 2025. Historically, Germany - Net trade balance of energy products reached a record high of EUR-1.20 Million in December of 2020 and a record low of EUR-3.50 Million in December of 2012.

Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Current data was reported at -67.982 PJ in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of -117.605 PJ for 2019. Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Current data is updated yearly, averaging -29.052 PJ from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2020, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.366 PJ in 1995 and a record low of -188.853 PJ in 2017. Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Current data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.RB004: Energy Trade Balance.

Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Natural Gas data was reported at 2,790.408 PJ in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3,176.687 PJ for 2019. Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Natural Gas data is updated yearly, averaging 2,498.338 PJ from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2020, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,176.687 PJ in 2019 and a record low of 1,750.587 PJ in 1990. Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Natural Gas data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.RB004: Energy Trade Balance.

Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Hard Coal data was reported at 832.478 PJ in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,143.686 PJ for 2019. Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Hard Coal data is updated yearly, averaging 1,079.537 PJ from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2020, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,605.153 PJ in 2016 and a record low of 177.307 PJ in 1990. Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Hard Coal data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.RB004: Energy Trade Balance.

Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Lignite data was reported at -22.236 PJ in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of -27.585 PJ for 2019. Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Lignite data is updated yearly, averaging -15.248 PJ from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2020, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 33.100 PJ in 1992 and a record low of -42.983 PJ in 2014. Germany Foreign Trade Balance: Lignite data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Germany – Table DE.RB004: Energy Trade Balance.

Germany recorded a Current Account surplus of 5.70 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2024. This dataset provides - Germany Current Account to GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Germany recorded a Government Budget deficit equal to 2.80 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2024. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Germany Government Budget - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.