China overtakes US to become Germany's top trading partner
February 20, 2026
China has overtaken the US as Germany's most important trading partner, according to figures released by Germany's Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Friday.
The sum of exports and imports between the two countries last year totaled €251.8 billion ($296.6 billion), a 2.1% increase, according to Destatis.
China was Germany's most important trading partner from 2016 all the way through to 2023. In 2024, the US briefly held the title.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is also set to visit China next week, where he is set to discuss trade and other topics.
China replaces US as Germany's top trading partner
Germany last year imported goods worth €170.6 billion from China, an 8.8% increase from the year earlier. Chinese imports to Germany were mainly data processing equipment, electrical equipment and machinery.
Meanwhile, German exports to China last year totaled €81.3 billion, down 9.7% from the year earlier.
The US was Germany's next top business partner last year, with a foreign trade turnover of €240.5 billion, a 5% drop from the year before.
German exports to the US fell last year, after US President Donald Trump introduced tariffs on imported goods from many countries, including Germany.
German companies sold goods worth €146.2 billion to the US last year, a 9.4% drop from the 12 months earlier. Among the most affected sectors were cars and car parts, with losses of 17.8%.
Edited by: Roshni Majumdar