World trade: German auto exports increased – USA most important market

The troubled German auto industry exported more vehicles in 2024 – most to the United States, where new tariffs are threatened under Donald Trump.

Last year, around 3.4 million new cars worth 135 billion euros from Germany were delivered all over the world, as the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden announced. In this way, export increased by 2.5 percent in the previous year, but the value of exports increased slightly by 1.3 percent.

The largest customer country was therefore the United States with a share of 13.1 percent of all exported new vehicles, followed by Great Britain (11.3 percent) and France (7.4 percent).

Around 1.8 million new cars were imported to Germany in 2024. This means that imports dropped by 11.5 percent and value by 12.8 percent.

Customs conflict with Trump threatens to escalate

US President Donald Trump had recently threatened with an import customs of 25 percent on the EU cars. At the beginning of April, he wants to comment on this. So far, a customs rate of 2.5 percent has been valid for auto imports from the EU.

US tariffs would hit the already battered auto industry in Europe, especially German manufacturers. The US market is one of the most important sales markets for all German manufacturers. Almost every third Porsche and every sixth BMW were sold in North America in 2024, and the proportion was 12 to 15 percent at VW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

Customs of 25 percent on steel and aluminum imports to the USA are already in force. The EU then announced against tariffs to a number of American products, including bourbon whiskey and motorcycles.