Germany's trade deficit with China widened to approximately €55 billion in the first half of 2026, up from around €40 billion in the same period of 2025.
Exports of German goods to China fell by more than 12% to under €37 billion, while imports from China rose by 8.9% to €91.8 billion.
Despite this, China remains Germany's largest trading partner. Total bilateral trade in January-June exceeded €128 billion, about €3 billion more than trade with the United States.
China, which as recently as 2021 was the second-largest market for German exports, has now slipped to ninth place. Experts attribute the decline in shipments to Germany's economic weakness and China's growing focus on its own production chains.