{"id":330125,"date":"2025-08-09T08:47:14","date_gmt":"2025-08-09T08:47:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/330125\/"},"modified":"2025-08-09T08:47:14","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T08:47:14","slug":"china-inches-closer-to-overtaking-us-as-germanys-largest-trading-partner-amid-tariff-shifts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/330125\/","title":{"rendered":"China inches closer to overtaking US as Germany\u2019s largest trading partner amid tariff shifts"},"content":{"rendered":"

China is on the verge of surpassing the United States as Germany\u2019s largest trading partner, according to preliminary data from the German statistics office for the first half of 2025. Although the US remains the largest trading partner for now, its lead over China has dwindled to a razor-thin margin. In the first half of 2025, total trade between Germany and the US reached approximately \u20ac125 billion ($145 billion), while trade with China reached \u20ac122.8 billion ($143.06 billion), just \u20ac2.2 billion (nearly $2.5 billion) less.<\/p>\n

Germany\u2019s trade landscape has shifted dramatically over the past year. After the US overtook China in 2024, ending an eight-year streak for China as Germany\u2019s biggest trading partner, German exports to the US have declined, largely due to the impact of renewed US tariffs under former President Donald Trump’s administration. Meanwhile, imports from China surged by 10.7 per cent in the first half of 2025, crossing the \u20ac80 billion ($93.20 billion) threshold.<\/p>\n

US exports to Germany hit by tariffs<\/strong><\/p>\n

Germany\u2019s exports to the US fell by 3.9 per cent to \u20ac77.6 billion in the first half of 2025, continuing a trend of decline that began with the reinstatement of tariffs. Economists predict that new tariffs introduced by the US are expected to slow Germany\u2019s exports to the US by 20 per cent to 25 per cent over the next two years. This decline has left Germany with fewer opportunities to strengthen its trade ties with the US, which was once the country\u2019s most important market. With the US imposing a 15 per cent tariff on most products as part of the July EU-US trade agreement, experts warn that the ongoing losses in German exports to the US are likely to intensify as the year progresses.<\/p>\n

China seeks to fill the void left by the US<\/strong><\/p>\n

Imports from China, meanwhile, have continued to rise. German companies appear to be increasingly reliant on Chinese goods, as evidenced by the 10.7 per cent increase in Chinese imports. The surge in imports suggests that China is effectively redirecting trade from the US to Europe. Additionally, a significant undervaluation of the yuan against the euro is making Chinese goods more affordable, further fuelling the influx of Chinese products into the German market.<\/p>\n

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