German imports from China rose 8.8% year-on-year to €89.1bn in the first half of 2026, the Federal Statistical Office reported on Thursday, marking the second-highest first-half total on record after the pandemic rebound in 2022, when imports reached nearly €96bn.
China retained its position as Germany’s largest single supplier, ahead of the U.S. (€50.6bn) and the Netherlands (€48.9bn). The increase reflects Beijing’s broad industrial-policy push to dominate global supply chains in sectors traditionally led by German industry, according to Sebastian Dullien, scientific director at the union-affiliated IMK institute. “These interventions have created overcapacity that is now flooding foreign markets,” he said.
German exports to China, by contrast, fell 12.2% to €36.4bn in the same period, pushing China down to the ninth-largest destination for German goods. The U.S. remained the top buyer of German products, though shipments there declined 6.1% to €73.1bn amid high EU import tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Exports to France rose 7.6% to €63.2bn and to the Netherlands 9.0% to €60.5bn, placing both countries in second and third position, respectively.
Bilateral trade turnover between Germany and China reached €125.5bn in the first half, maintaining China’s status as Germany’s most important trade partner for the period, followed by the U.S. at €123.7bn and the Netherlands at €109.3bn.
Germany posted its largest trade surpluses with France (€25.7bn), the U.S. (€22.5bn) and the U.K. (€22.3bn), overtaking the U.S. from a year earlier. The trade deficit with China widened sharply from €40.5bn to €52.7bn.
Overall, German exports rose 3.9% to €817.8bn in H1 2026, while imports increased 4.7% to €712.1bn.
