A blow accepted production at industry and exports to Germany At the beginning of the second quarter of 2024, in the shadow of duties 10% imposed by the US President Donald Trump on April 9, 2025.
These figures on the course of industry and exports to Germany come to the release just a day after the meeting of US President Trump and German Chancellor Mertz in Washington.
The industry, construction and energy suppliers in Germany produced together 1.4% less than the previous month, according to a statement from the Federal Statistical Service (Destatis). Economists who participated in a Reuters poll expected only a decrease of 1.0%, as production increased by 2.3% in March.
Exports also declined – for the first time since October 2024, which is also due to weak business in the US. They shrunk by 1.7% compared to the previous month to € 131.1 billion. Economists responded by Reuters expected only 0.7%, after an increase of 1.2% in March.
Most German exports also headed to the United States in April. However, 10.5% less goods were exported there than March, which was characterized by a forward attraction, with which American importers wanted to bypass the forthcoming duties.
The imports, on the other side, increased amazingly strongly in April, with an increase of 3.9% Compared to the previous month, at € 116.5 billion. Analysts had only an increase of 0.5%. The strong increase could indicate an increase in domestic demand.
“Recent vigorous fluctuations in industrial production in some sectors of the economy are likely to be an expression of the uncertainty of commercial policy arising from the US duty policy,” the federal ministry of Economy commented on this development.
In view of the latest duties, uncertainty about commercial policy has increased once again, despite continuing negotiations on US and the EU duties. “The prospects for recovery of industrial production have therefore recently blurred somewhat,” the ministry said.
10.5% drop in German exports in the US
More specifically, according to Destatis’s announcement, in April 2025 (ie the first month of the implementation of Trump duties), most German exports headed to the United States. Adapted to calendar and seasonal effects, 10.5% less goods were exported there than in March 2025, resulting in exports to the United States to be reduced to € 13.0 billion. This is the lowest price since October 2024 (€ 12.3 billion). Compared to April 2024, exports to the United States decreased by 6.3% on a calendar and seasonally customized basis. Exports to the People’s Republic of China fell 5.9% to € 7.0 billion. Exports to the United Kingdom fell by 2.1% to € 6.3 billion.
Most of the imports in April 2025 came from the People’s Republic of China. Adapted to calendar and seasonal impacts, € 13.9 billion was introduced from there. This was 4.1% less than the previous month. Imports from the United States increased by 3.9% to € 8.4 billion. Imports from the United Kingdom fell by 8.1% to € 3.0 billion in the same period.
Fall 17.7% in the production of pharmaceutical industry
The negative trend in the manufacturing industry in April 2025 is spreading to many sectors of the economy. For example, Production in the pharmaceutical industry decreased by 17.7% In seasonal and calendarly customized terms compared to the previous month, after an increase of 19.3% in March 2025. The decrease in production in the engineering industry (-2.4%) also had a negative impact on the overall result in April 2025. In contrast, production in the construction industry (+1.4%) and in the food industry (+5.7%) has evolved positively.
Industrial production (manufacturing industry without energy and constructions) decreased by 1.9% in April 2025 compared to March 2025, adapted to seasonal and calendar effects. Within industry, capital goods production decreased by 2.3%, intermediate goods by 1.9%and consumer goods by 1.5%. In addition to industry, energy production decreased by 1.6 %.
In energy -efficient industries, production decreased by 2.1% in April 2025 compared to March 2025, adapted to seasonal and calendar effects. In a quarterly comparison, production in energy -efficient industries was higher by 0.8% between February 2025 and April 2025 compared to the previous three months. Compared to the same month of the previous year, in April 2024, energy production in April 2025 was reduced by 2.7% on a calendar customized basis.