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Trade between Germany and the United States

In 2024, Germany exported $156.5 billion to the United States and imported $90.4 billion. Germany ran a surplus of $66.1 billion with the United States, compared with a surplus of $51.9 billion in 2019. The United States was Germany’s 2nd largest trading partner (9% of its trade), and Germany was the United States’ 4th (5%).

Summary

Germany → United States
$156.5billion
United States → Germany
$90.4billion
Germany’s balance
$66.1billion

Balance

Germany’s trade balance with the United States

Trade between Germany and the United States grew 3.8-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). Germany’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 156
  • Imports 90.4
  • Balance +66.1

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$37.6 billion$28.1 billion$9.4 billion
1996$39.4 billion$28.7 billion$10.7 billion
1997$43.5 billion$29.9 billion$13.7 billion
1998$49.9 billion$33.8 billion$16 billion
1999$54.5 billion$35.1 billion$19.4 billion
2000$57.3 billion$38.8 billion$18.5 billion
2001$59.2 billion$38 billion$21.2 billion
2002$63.3 billion$34.6 billion$28.7 billion
2003$68.2 billion$38.1 billion$30.1 billion
2004$77.9 billion$43.4 billion$34.5 billion
2005$84.6 billion$48.1 billion$36.5 billion
2006$91 billion$54.1 billion$36.9 billion
2007$94.8 billion$57.3 billion$37.5 billion
2008$98.6 billion$61.7 billion$36.9 billion
2009$70.9 billion$50.6 billion$20.3 billion
2010$83.6 billion$55.3 billion$28.3 billion
2011$98.7 billion$61.9 billion$36.8 billion
2012$109.3 billion$60.8 billion$48.5 billion
2013$114.3 billion$62.4 billion$51.9 billion
2014$122.5 billion$62.2 billion$60.3 billion
2015$123.8 billion$63.7 billion$60.1 billion
2016$113.1 billion$61 billion$52.1 billion
2017$116.9 billion$65.2 billion$51.8 billion
2018$124.3 billion$68.7 billion$55.7 billion
2019$125.8 billion$73.9 billion$51.9 billion
2020$113.1 billion$72.8 billion$40.3 billion
2021$134.6 billion$79.6 billion$55 billion
2022$148.6 billion$87.2 billion$61.4 billion
2023$158.2 billion$95.9 billion$62.3 billion
2024$156.5 billion$90.4 billion$66.1 billion

What they sell each other

What Germany sells to the United States

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Cars$25.8 billion · 16.5%
    1.2 million tonnes · Germany’s destinations
  2. Vaccines, blood and antisera$12.2 billion · 7.8%
    2 thousand tonnes · Germany’s destinations
  3. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$7.3 billion · 4.7%
    27 thousand tonnes · Germany’s destinations
  4. Auto parts$5.7 billion · 3.6%
    388 thousand tonnes · Germany’s destinations
  5. Airplanes and helicopters$5.3 billion · 3.4%
    5 thousand tonnes · Germany’s destinations
  6. Medical and dental instruments$4.3 billion · 2.7%
    43 thousand tonnes · Germany’s destinations
  7. Other industrial machines$3.9 billion · 2.5%
    111 thousand tonnes
  8. Turbojets and gas turbines$2.3 billion · 1.5%
    4 thousand tonnes · Germany’s destinations
  9. Other plastic articles$1.8 billion · 1.2%
    32 thousand tonnes
  10. Tractors$1.7 billion · 1.1%
    104 thousand tonnes · Germany’s destinations

What the United States sells to Germany

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Crude petroleum$8.5 billion · 9.3%
    13.3 million tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  2. Vaccines, blood and antisera$8.1 billion · 9%
    14 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  3. Cars$7.3 billion · 8.1%
    376 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  4. Turbojets and gas turbines$6.9 billion · 7.6%
    5 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  5. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$3.5 billion · 3.9%
    4 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  6. Medical and dental instruments$3.4 billion · 3.8%
    12 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  7. Other plastic articles$2.4 billion · 2.6%
    21 thousand tonnes
  8. Refined petroleum$2.2 billion · 2.4%
    2.6 million tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  9. Natural gas and LPG$2.1 billion · 2.3%
    3.6 million tonnes
  10. Hormones$1.6 billion · 1.8%
    5 tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Hamburg to Los Angeles.

The estimated sea route between Hamburg and Los Angeles is 8,240 nautical miles (15,260 km) long: ≈ 19–24.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Passages it crosses: Strait of Dover and Panama Canal.

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$122.8 billion · 49.7%
  2. Air$124.2 billion · 50.3%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

The United States was Germany’s 2nd largest trading partner (9% of its trade), and Germany was the United States’ 4th (5%).

The United States in Germany’s trade
8.7%
The United States’ rank among Germany’s partners
2nd
Germany in the United States’ trade
4.9%
Germany’s rank among the United States’ partners
4th

Compare with

Other partners of Germany

Other partners of the United States

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.