Overview
- Germany recorded a goods trade surplus with the United States of €12.4 billion in the first quarter of 2026, a decline of 30.5% from the year before.
- Total German exports to the U.S. fell to €36.2 billion, down 12.1%, while imports from the U.S. rose to €23.8 billion, up 1.9%.
- The drop was driven mainly by motor vehicles and parts, where exports fell 28.4% and the vehicle trade surplus fell to €5.0 billion, a 35.5% fall versus the prior year.
- Other goods showed mixed results with machinery and pharmaceuticals still posting smaller surpluses and mineral fuels creating an import deficit of €3.0 billion.
- Destatis and independent reporting point to the 2025 U.S. tariffs on European imports as the principal external shock, a shift that could reshape German auto exports, factory orders and supply chains going forward.