According to preliminary data provided by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), in the first half of 2024, the United States became Germany's largest trading partner, overtaking China.
The volume of German imports and exports to the United States from January to June amounted to about 127 billion euros, while the volume of German imports and exports to China reached 122 billion euros. 2023 was the eighth year in a row that China remained Germany's number one partner.
The increase in trade volumes with the United States came after Germany said it wanted to shrink its exposure to China, citing political differences and accusing Beijing of "unfair practices." The resilience of the U.S. economy has also helped boost German exports.
The data showed that from January to June, German exports to the United States increased by 3.3%, to almost 81 billion euros, while German exports to China fell by almost 3%, to just over 48 billion euros. Imports from China fell by almost 8% to 73.5 billion euros, while imports from the United States fell by 3.4% to 46.1 billion euros.