Exporting

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As Europe's largest economy and second most populous nation (after Russia), Germany is a key member of the continent's economic, political, and defense organizations. European power struggles immersed Germany in two devastating World Wars in the first half of the 20th century and left the country occupied by the victorious Allied powers of the US, UK, France, and the Soviet Union in 1945. With the advent of the Cold War, two German states were formed in 1949: the western Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the eastern German Democratic Republic (GDR). The democratic FRG embedded itself in key western economic and security organizations, the EC, which became the EU, and NATO, while the communist GDR was on the front line of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact. The decline of the USSR and the end of the Cold War allowed for German reunification in 1990. Since then, Germany has expended considerable funds to bring eastern productivity and wages up to western standards. In January 1999, Germany and 10 other EU countries introduced a common European exchange currency, the euro.

Location

Central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark

Natural Resources

coal, lignite, natural gas, iron ore, copper, nickel, uranium, potash, salt, construction materials, timber, arable land

Population - distribution

most populous country in Europe; a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger and denser populations, particularly in the far western part of the industrial state of North Rhine-Westphalia

81802257
German (official)
BERLIN (capital) 3.563 million; Hamburg 1.831 million; Munich 1.438 million; Cologne 1.037 million (2015)
Conventional long form
Federal Republic of Germany
Conventional short form
Germany
Local long form
Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Local short form
Deutschland
federal parliamentary republic
Name
Berlin
Geographic coordinates
52 31 N, 13 24 E
Time difference
UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time
+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
The German economy - the fifth largest economy in the world in PPP terms and Europe's largest - is a leading exporter of machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and household equipment and benefits from a highly skilled labor force. Like its Western European neighbors, Germany faces significant demographic challenges to sustained long-term growth. Low fertility rates and a large increase in net immigration are increasing pressure on the country's social welfare system and necessitate structural reforms.
Inflation
0.483%
External debt stocks
US$ 466,463,000
Total tax rate (% of commercial profits)
48.9%
Real Interest Rate
4.345%
Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP)
22.618%
Current Account Balance
US$ 289,158,837,956
Labor Force, Total
43,299,987
Employment in Agriculture
1.39%
Employment in Industry
27.69%
Employment in Services
70.92%
Unemployment Rate
4.31%
Imports of goods and services
US$ 1,330,296,758,188
Exports of goods and services
US$ 1,594,392,690,545
Total Merchandise Trade
69.07%
FDI, net inflows
US$ 52,474,196,612
Commercial Service Exports
US$ 276,257,007,955
potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, cabbages; milk products; cattle, pigs, poultry
among the world's largest and most technologically advanced producers of iron, steel, coal, cement, chemicals, machinery, vehicles, machine tools, electronics, automobiles, food and beverages, shipbuilding, textiles
Commodities
motor vehicles, machinery, chemicals, computer and electronic products, electrical equipment, pharmaceuticals, metals, transport equipment, foodstuffs, textiles, rubber and plastic products
Partners
US 9.6%, France 8.6%, UK 7.5%, Netherlands 6.6%, China 6%, Italy 4.9%, Austria 4.8%, Poland 4.4%, Switzerland 4.2% (2015)
Commodities
machinery, data processing equipment, vehicles, chemicals, oil and gas, metals, electric equipment, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, agricultural products
Partners
Netherlands 13.7%, France 7.6%, China 7.3%, Belgium 6%, Italy 5.2%, Poland 5%, US 4.7%, Czech Republic 4.5%, UK 4.2%, Austria 4.2%, Switzerland 4.2% (2015)
Country Risk Rating
A1
The political and economic situation is very good. A quality business environment has a positive influence on corporate payment behavior. Corporate default probability is very low on average.
Business Climate Rating
A1
The business environment is very good. Corporate financial information is available and reliable. Debt collection is efficient. Institutional quality is very good. Intercompany transactions run smoothly in environments rated A1.
  • Solid industrial base (1/4 of GDP)
  • Low structural unemployment and well-developed system of apprenticeships
  • Geographic diversification of exports
  • Good competitiveness
  • Importance of family-owned exporting SMEs (Mittelstand)
  • Integration of Central and Eastern Europe in productive process
  • Importance of the ports of Hamburg, Bremerhaven and Kiel
  • Institutional structure promoting representativeness and consensus
  • Aging infrastructure
  • Demographic decline partially offset by immigration
  • Shortage of engineers and venture capital
  • Highly dependent on world, especially European, markets
  • Prominence of automotive and mechanical engineering industries
  • Persistent but reducing backwardness of eastern Länder
  • Weak productivity of services

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