China Reclaims Top Spot as Germany’s Biggest Trading Partner — Again

China has quietly overtaken the United States as Germany’s largest trading partner once more, despite Berlin’s efforts to pivot away from Beijing.

According to preliminary data from Germany’s statistics office, trade between the two countries hit $190.7bn (€163.4bn) in the first eight months of 2025, just edging out $189bn (€162.8bn) with the US, based on Reuters calculations.

The shift marks a quick reversal: in 2024, the US had ended China’s eight-year streak at the top. But things changed fast after Donald Trump’s return to the White House, and with him, his trademark tariff crusade.

German exports to the US dropped 7.4% between January and August compared to last year, with a sharp 23.5% year-on-year plunge in August alone.

He noted that US demand for Germany’s classic export staples: cars, machinery, chemicals, has dried up.

And the pain isn’t likely to ease soon.

China, meanwhile, is no simple win. Exports to the country fell even harder, down 13.5% year-on-year to $63.5bn (€54.7bn), but imports from China surged 8.3% to $126.4bn (€108.8bn).