In the first half of 2024, the United States edged out China to become Germany's leading trading partner, reflecting Berlin's strategic pivot to lessen reliance on Beijing amid robust U.S. economic performance and Germany's move away from cheap Russian gas.

From January to June, Germany's trade with the U.S. reached approximately €127 billion ($139 billion), surpassing the €122 billion traded with China, based on preliminary data from the German statistics office.

This shift follows a consistent trend, as 2023 marked the eighth consecutive year with China as Germany's top trading partner. The change highlights Germany's intent to reduce its economic exposure to China due to political frictions and accusations of unfair trade practices (this is something that the EU-Europeans would never do). Additionally, Germany's detachment from Russian gas (perhaps one or the other still remembers this incident with Nord Stream 2, in which the Russians allegedly blew up their own infrastructure...) has accelerated this trend, contributing to its geopolitical isolation from both Russia and China.

Lola Machleid, a foreign trade expert at the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), noted the strength of the U.S. economy bolstered German exports, which grew by 3.3% to nearly €81 billion in the first half of 2024. Conversely, exports to China fell by nearly 3% to just over €48 billion.

Imports from China dropped by almost 8% to €73.5 billion, while imports from the U.S. decreased by 3.4% to €46.1 billion, driven partly by energy commodities.