In 2012, German exports to China increased by 2.7 percent compared with the previous year to €66.6 billion, while imports from China were down 2.8 percent year on year to €77.3 billion. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), on the basis of provisional results, the balance of trade deficit of German foreign trade with China decreased by 27.1 percent compared to 2011 to €10.7 billion.
In the ranking of Germany's foreign trading partners, exports to China ranked fifth in 2012 with a share of 6.1 percent of total German exports. China ranked second in 2012 among Germany's import sources, with a 8.5 percent share of total German imports.
The biggest shares of Germany's exports to China in 2012 were accounted for by vehicles and motor vehicle parts worth €19.3 billion (29 percent of total exports) and machinery with a value of €16.9 billion (25.3 percent). Meanwhile, imports sourced from China were mainly computer equipment, electrical and optical products with a total value of €27.5 billion (35.6 percent of imports). Germany's metal product imports from China in 2012 totaled €3.3 billion in 2012, constituting 4.3 percent of total imports from China.