According to data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Thursday, German exports rose by 3.9 percent in the first half of 2026, reaching a total value of 817.8 billion euros. This represents an increase of 31.0 billion euros compared to the same period in the previous year. Meanwhile, total imports into Germany during the first six months of 2026 valued at 712.1 billion euros, which is 4.7 percent or 31.7 billion euros higher than the first half of 2025. Consequently, Germany recorded a foreign trade surplus of 105.7 billion euros in the first half of 2026, a slight reduction of 0.7 percent from the 106.4 billion euro surplus in the first half of 2025.
China maintained its position as Germany’s most significant trading partner in the first half of 2026, with a sales turnover (exports plus imports) of 125.5 billion euros, mirroring the total performance in 2025. This was followed by the United States, contributing 123.7 billion euros, and the Netherlands, which recorded 109.3 billion euros.
In terms of export destinations, the United States remained the most important buyer of German goods, as had been customary in previous years, receiving 73.1 billion euros worth of goods. However, this figure was 6.1 percent lower than in the first half of 2025. This decline is partly attributable to high import tariffs introduced in the US for goods from the European Union (EU) starting in April 2025. Notably, German exports of vehicles and vehicle parts saw significant setbacks in trade with the US, falling by 17.2 percent.
Conversely, substantial growth was observed in exports to France and the Netherlands, which moved up to the second and third places, respectively. Exports to France increased by 7.6 percent to 63.2 billion euros, and exports to the Netherlands rose by 9.0 percent to 60.5 billion euros. China dropped down to ninth place among key buyers, with exports valued at 36.4 billion euros, a 12.2 percent decrease.
Regarding sources of imports, China was the largest supplier to Germany in the first half of 2026, contributing 89.1 billion euros. The United States (50.6 billion euros) and the Netherlands (48.9 billion euros) occupied the second and third spots. Imports from China and the US significantly increased compared to the previous year, by 8.8 percent and 7.0 percent, respectively, while imports from the Netherlands rose moderately by 0.7 percent.
Germany achieved its highest export surpluses in the first half of 2026 in trade with France (25.7 billion euros), the United States (22.5 billion euros), and the United Kingdom (22.3 billion euros). This contrasts with the first half of 2025, when the US held a clear first place with a surplus of 30.5 billion euros. In trade with China, the imbalance widened; imports again exceeded exports, growing from 40.5 billion euros in the first half of 2025 to 52.7 billion euros in the first half of 2026, while German exports to China decreased.
The most valuable exports for Germany in the first half of 2026 were vehicles and vehicle parts, totaling 124.7 billion euros, though this segment saw a 5.8 percent decrease compared to H1 2025. Machines ranked second, valued at 107.7 billion euros (a decrease of 0.9 percent). Following these were data processing equipment and electric and optical products at 73.1 billion euros, followed by chemical products valued at 71.6 billion euros. Both of these product groups recorded growth, with increases of 9.5 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively, compared to the first half of 2025.
In terms of imports, vehicles and vehicle parts were the most important category, valued at 77.1 billion euros (a 3.7 percent rise from H1 2025), closely followed by data processing equipment and electric and optical products at 75.6 billion euros (up 10.0 percent). Furthermore, the largest trade surplus was generated through machinery (54.0 billion euros), followed by vehicles and vehicle parts (47.6 billion euros). Conversely, trade in crude petroleum and natural gas, as well as agricultural produce, saw a pronounced increase in imports over exports, leading to import surpluses of 35.5 billion euros and 16.5 billion euros in those respective sectors.
