Europe’s most powerful economy, the Federal Republic of Germany shipped US$1.684 trillion worth of exported products around the world in 2024.
That dollar amount results from a 22% advance from $1.38 trillion five years earlier during 2020.
Year over year, the overall value of goods exported from Germany retreated via a -1.1% slowdown compared to $1.702 trillion for 2023.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2024, Germany uses the euro which flatlined via a slight 0.02% gain against the US dollar from 2023 to 2024. The slightly stronger European Union currency made Germany’s exports paid for in weaker US dollars modestly more expensive for international buyers.
Germany’s biggest export products by value in 2024 were cars, medication mixes in dosage, automotive parts or accessories, blood fractions including antisera, then aircraft and spacecraft. In aggregate, those major exports accounted for 22.6% of overall exports sales from Germany. That percentage suggests a relatively diversified range of exported goods.
Germany is a world-leader for exporting cars, drugs and medicines, and automotive parts or accessories. The European nation ranks among the top exporters for international sales of blood fractions including antisera for therapeutic purposes, and aircraft plus spacecraft including aircraft parts.
Germany’s Best International Trade Partners
The latest available country-specific data shows that 66.9% of products exported from Germany was bought by importers in: United States of America (10.4% of the German total), France (7.5%), Netherlands (7.1%), Poland (6%), mainland China (5.8%), Italy (5.2%), United Kingdom (5.16%), Austria (4.9%), Switzerland (4.4%), Belgium (3.8%), Spain (3.5%) and Czech Republic (3.3%).
From a continental perspective, about two-thirds (66.5%) of Germany’s exports by value was delivered to fellow European countries while 16.8% was sold to importers in Asia. Germany shipped another 12.4% worth of goods to buyers in North America.
Smaller percentages went to customers in Latin America (1.8%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Africa (1.7%) then Oceania (0.8%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Germany’s exports to other European Union members equaled 54.5% of Deutschland’s total exports in 2024, modestly ahead of the 54.3% for 2023.
Given Germany’s population of 84.8 million people, its total $1.684 trillion in 2024 exports translates to roughly $19,850 for every resident in the European economic hub. That per-capita dollar amount lags the average $20,100 one year earlier in 2023.
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in German global shipments during 2024. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Germany.
- Vehicles: US$284.1 billion (16.9% of total exports)
- Machinery including computers: $271.5 billion (16.1%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $180.6 billion (10.7%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $124.2 billion (7.4%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $85.8 billion (5.1%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $69.4 billion (4.1%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $36.1 billion (2.1%)
- Mineral fuels including oil: $35.6 billion (2.1%)
- Other chemical goods: $35.5 billion (2.1%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $35.1 billion (2.1%)
Germany’s top 10 export product categories generated over two-thirds (68.8%) of the overall value of total German shipments.
Aircraft and spacecraft was the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 5.6% from 2023 to 2024.
In second place for improving export sales was pharmaceuticals via a 3.6% gain.
Germany’s shipments of optical, technical and medical apparatus posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 1.3%.
The leading decliner among Germany’s top 10 export categories was electrical machinery and equipment thanks to its -5.6% year-over-year drop.
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more granular view of exported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, see the section below.
Searchable List of Germany’s Most Valuable Export Products
The following searchable table displays 100 of the most in-demand goods shipped from Germany during 2024. Shown beside each product label is its total export value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2023.
| Rank | Germany’s Export Product | Value (US$) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cars | $174,545,249,000 | -1.5% |
| 2 | Medication mixes in dosage | $67,197,844,000 | +0.5% |
| 3 | Automobile parts/accessories | $63,762,953,000 | -4.1% |
| 4 | Blood fractions (including antisera) | $49,268,165,000 | +8.2% |
| 5 | Aircraft, spacecraft | $25,924,581,000 | -2.2% |
| 6 | Processed petroleum oils | $21,555,957,000 | +7% |
| 7 | Miscellaneous machinery | $19,632,761,000 | +2.6% |
| 8 | Electro-medical equipment (e.g. xrays) | $19,179,288,000 | +1% |
| 9 | Integrated circuits/microassemblies | $18,762,588,000 | -14.5% |
| 10 | Centrifuges, filters and purifiers | $16,582,488,000 | -3.4% |
| 11 | Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels | $15,859,639,000 | -2.1% |
| 12 | Lower-voltage switches, fuses | $15,704,258,000 | -7.3% |
| 13 | Computers, optical readers | $15,618,153,000 | +4% |
| 14 | Taps, valves, similar appliances | $15,453,701,000 | +1.5% |
| 15 | Gold (unwrought) | $15,018,386,000 | +46.9% |
| 16 | Piston engine parts | $13,904,910,000 | +1.6% |
| 17 | Transmission shafts, gears, clutches | $13,742,590,000 | -1.5% |
| 18 | Electrical converters/power units | $12,488,955,000 | -12.9% |
| 19 | Trucks | $12,171,362,000 | -6.3% |
| 20 | Liquid pumps and elevators | $11,403,468,000 | -4.1% |
| 21 | Phone devices including smartphones | $11,215,933,000 | -12.1% |
| 22 | Air or vacuum pumps | $11,194,484,000 | +0.3% |
| 23 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $11,126,724,000 | -0.7% |
| 24 | Tractors | $10,565,857,000 | -23.9% |
| 25 | Aircraft or spacecraft parts | $9,895,347,000 | +33.1% |
| 26 | Insulated wire/cable | $9,861,948,000 | -3.7% |
| 27 | Other measuring/testing machines | $9,768,308,000 | +1% |
| 28 | Other diagnostic/lab reagents | $9,348,045,000 | +0.5% |
| 29 | Physical/chemical analysis tools | $9,254,107,000 | -0.9% |
| 30 | Dishwashing, clean/dry/fill machines | $9,063,072,000 | +9.5% |
| 31 | Electric motors, generators | $9,044,155,000 | -3.5% |
| 32 | Printing machinery | $8,654,218,000 | -3.4% |
| 33 | Miscellaneous furniture | $8,632,329,000 | -3.1% |
| 34 | Electric storage batteries | $8,454,944,000 | -4.2% |
| 35 | Turbo-jets | $8,184,584,000 | +17.1% |
| 36 | Solar power diodes/semi-conductors | $8,100,681,000 | -15.7% |
| 37 | Iron and steel screws, bolts, nuts, washers | $7,390,606,000 | -4% |
| 38 | Chocolate, other cocoa preparations | $7,115,435,000 | +13.6% |
| 39 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $6,743,432,000 | -2.4% |
| 40 | Cheese, curd | $6,742,250,000 | +3.8% |
| 41 | Orthopedic appliances | $6,569,602,000 | +9.9% |
| 42 | Chemical industry products/residuals | $6,482,321,000 | +1.3% |
| 43 | Piston engines | $6,415,549,000 | +18% |
| 44 | Rubber/plastic article making machines | $6,212,161,000 | -6% |
| 45 | Temperature-change machines | $6,016,263,000 | -6% |
| 46 | Trailers | $5,962,948,000 | -18.8% |
| 47 | X-ray equipment | $5,961,900,000 | -2.9% |
| 48 | Miscellaneous iron or steel items | $5,955,812,000 | -3.1% |
| 49 | Other food preparations | $5,941,271,000 | +10.9% |
| 50 | Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries | $5,853,958,000 | +1.6% |
| 51 | Rubber tires (new) | $5,752,199,000 | -9% |
| 52 | Engines (diesel) | $5,748,131,000 | -11% |
| 53 | Aluminum plates, sheets, strips | $5,577,668,000 | -0.9% |
| 54 | Electric circuit parts, fuses, switches | $5,526,730,000 | -17.3% |
| 55 | Liquid/gas checking instruments | $5,493,762,000 | +0.2% |
| 56 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $5,481,756,000 | +0.2% |
| 57 | Miscellaneous iron and steel structures | $5,435,165,000 | +0.9% |
| 58 | Footwear (leather) | $5,431,572,000 | +13.6% |
| 59 | Machinery parts | $5,337,521,000 | -5.8% |
| 60 | Lifting/loading machinery | $5,262,520,000 | -13% |
| 61 | Base metal mountings, fittings | $5,204,901,000 | +1.6% |
| 62 | Electric water heaters, hair dryers | $5,135,743,000 | -0.6% |
| 63 | Electrical energy | $4,994,100,000 | -22.8% |
| 64 | Miscellaneous animal feed preparations | $4,992,792,000 | +0.7% |
| 65 | Polyacetal/ether/carbonates | $4,875,384,000 | -0.2% |
| 66 | Electrical machinery | $4,852,529,000 | -3.6% |
| 67 | Beauty/makeup/skin care preparations | $4,776,638,000 | +2% |
| 68 | Ball, roller bearings | $4,774,867,000 | -8.9% |
| 69 | Plastic tubes, pipes, fittings | $4,742,191,000 | -1.4% |
| 70 | Initiators/accelerators, catalytic preps | $4,623,115,000 | -16.5% |
| 71 | Vulcanized rubber items | $4,597,444,000 | -1.2% |
| 72 | Other organic cleaning preparations | $4,586,049,000 | +8.2% |
| 73 | Fork-lift trucks | $4,556,832,000 | -3.8% |
| 74 | Lenses, prisms, mirrors | $4,526,295,000 | +12% |
| 75 | Special purpose vehicles | $4,519,337,000 | +0.2% |
| 76 | Electrical lighting/signaling equpment, defrosters | $4,406,758,000 | +0.02% |
| 77 | Machinery for making semi-conductors | $4,395,630,000 | +12.7% |
| 78 | Harvest/threshing machinery | $4,390,338,000 | -23.1% |
| 79 | Regulate/control instruments | $4,330,654,000 | -3.5% |
| 80 | Seats (excluding barber/dentist chairs) | $4,184,723,000 | -6.9% |
| 81 | Flat-rolled iron or non-alloy steel products (plated/coated) | $4,150,227,000 | -1.1% |
| 82 | Swine meat | $4,115,461,000 | -0.1% |
| 83 | Interchangeable hand/machine tools | $4,100,150,000 | -0.04% |
| 84 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $4,029,057,000 | -0.1% |
| 85 | Spray/dispersing mechanical appliances | $4,006,603,000 | +6.2% |
| 86 | Biodiesel | $4,000,099,000 | -3.1% |
| 87 | Women’s clothing (not knit or crochet) | $3,993,154,000 | +4.7% |
| 88 | Iron or steel scrap | $3,932,338,000 | -7.8% |
| 89 | TV receiver/transmit/digital cameras | $3,915,920,000 | +5% |
| 90 | Heavy machinery (bulldozers, excavators, road rollers) | $3,807,146,000 | -16.4% |
| 91 | Coffee | $3,793,508,000 | +11.3% |
| 92 | Flat-rolled other alloy steel products | $3,781,274,000 | -1.8% |
| 93 | Other machine parts, accessories | $3,634,873,000 | -4.5% |
| 94 | Packaged insecticides/fungicides/herbicides | $3,598,838,000 | -4% |
| 95 | Sutures, special pharmaceutical goods | $3,587,264,000 | -5.2% |
| 96 | Cellulose fiber paper | $3,579,907,000 | +1.6% |
| 97 | Men’s suits, trousers (not knit or crochet) | $3,561,499,000 | +2% |
| 98 | Paper containers, cellulose wadding | $3,547,602,000 | -5.4% |
| 99 | Ethylene polymers | $3,544,865,000 | -1.2% |
| 100 | Copper wire | $3,523,213,000 | +0.7% |
These 100 exported goods were worth a subtotal of US$1.069 trillion or well over three-fifths (63.5%) by value for all products exported from Deutschland during 2024.
Products Generating Best Competitive Advantages
Germany’s overall trade surplus expanded by 11.3% to US$258.8 billion for 2024 from $232.6 billion in black ink one year earlier during 2023.
The following types of German product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus for 2024. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports. In a nutshell, net exports reflect the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Vehicles: US$137.6 billion (Up by 1.1% since 2023)
- Machinery including computers: $97.2 billion (Down by -0.2%)
- Pharmaceuticals: $45.7 billion (Down by -1.2%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $35.8 billion (Up by 1.7%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $23.6 billion (Up by 11.8%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: $20 billion (Up by 3.5%)
- Other chemical goods: $14.4 billion (Up by 1.4%)
- Articles of iron or steel: $7.8 billion (Up by 11.5%)
- Paper, paper items: $7.4 billion (Down by -1.7%)
- Tanning, dyes, paints, varnishes, ink: $6.7 billion (Up by 2.3%)
Germany has highly positive net exports notably in the international trade of cars and automotive parts. In turn, these cashflows indicate Germany’s strong competitive advantages and engineering excellence under the vehicles product category.
Products Causing Worst Competitive Disadvantages
Below are exports from Germany that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Germany’s goods trail German importer spending on foreign products.
- Mineral fuels including oil: -US$82.7 billion (Down by -14.4% since 2023)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: -$22.2 billion (Down by -20.2%)
- Organic chemicals: -$13.8 billion (Down by -20.3%)
- Fruits, nuts: -$11.9 billion (Up by 16%)
- Ores, slag, ash: -$9.4 billion (Down by -12.3%)
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: -$8.1 billion (Up by 8.4%)
- Vegetables: -$7.2 billion (Up by 1.9%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): -$6 billion (Up by 0.9%)
- Oil seeds: -$5.5 billion (Down by -11.6%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: -$4.8 billion (Up by 21%)
Germany has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits particularly for both crude oil and refined petroleum oils.
These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate Germany’s competitive disadvantages in the international oil market, but also represent key opportunities for Germany to improve its position in the global economy through focused innovations in alternative energy sources.
Germany’s Export Companies
Over fifty German corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000. Below is a selected sample of major German export companies.
- Adidas (apparel/accessories)
- Allianz (diversified insurance)
- BASF (diversified chemicals)
- Bayer (diversified chemicals)
- BMW Group (cars, trucks)
- Continental (automotive parts)
- Daimler (cars, trucks)
- Fresenius (medical equipment, supplies)
- Heidelberg Cement (construction materials)
- Henkel (household/personal care items)
- Linde (diversified chemicals)
- Merck (pharmaceuticals)
- Siemens (conglomerate, engineering)
- Volkswagen Group (cars, trucks)
In macroeconomic terms, Germany’s total exported goods represent 28% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2024 ($6.017 trillion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 28% for exports to overall GDP in PPP terms for 2024 compares to 30.5% one year earlier. Those percentages suggest a relatively decreasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Germany’s total economic performance, albeit based on a short timeframe.
Another key indicator of a country’s economic performance is its unemployment rate. Germany’s unemployment rate averaged 3.352% for 2024, up from an average 3.025% for 2023 according to International Monetary Fund statistics.
Domestically, Germany’s annual inflation rate was 2.374% for 2024 down from an average 6.03% for 2023.
Berlin is the capital city for Germany.
See also Germany’s Top 10 Imports, Germany’s Top Trading Partners, Top German Trade Balances and Germany’s Top 10 Major Export Companies
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on March 16, 2025
Forbes, Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on March 16, 2025
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on March 16, 2025
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on March 16, 2025
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on March 16, 2025
Richest Country Reports, Key Statistics Powering Global Wealth. Accessed on March 16, 2025
Wikipedia, Germany. Accessed on March 16, 2025
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on March 16, 2025
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Germany. Accessed on March 16, 2025
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on March 16, 2025
X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: Euro to US Dollar (monthly average 2024). Accessed on March 16, 2025