Germany’s trade balance with China has shifted significantly in Beijing’s favour. From January to June 2026, Germany exported less than €37 billion worth of goods to China, more than 12% less than a year earlier. As a result, China fell to ninth place among Germany’s largest export markets, down from second place in 2021.
At the same time, imports from China jumped by 9%, reaching around €92 billion. Germany’s trade deficit with China increased from approximately €40 billion to €55 billion.
Experts attribute the trend partly to Chinese companies becoming less dependent on European technology and equipment as they expand their domestic supply chains. German businesses, meanwhile, are facing growing competition from Chinese manufacturers.
China nevertheless remains Germany’s largest trading partner, with total bilateral trade exceeding €128 billion, around €3 billion more than Germany’s trade volume with the United States.
For German industry, the figures point to a shift in the traditional economic relationship: China is gradually moving from being a major market for German goods to becoming one of Germany’s main competitors on its own home market.
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