Germany’s export-oriented manufacturing sector is under increasing pressure. Germany’s share of global merchandise exports declined from 8.3% in 2016 to 6.7% in 2025, with export losses now affecting almost the entire manufacturing sector. At the same time, Chinese firms have strengthened their competitive position across a wide range of industries, including the automotive sector. Trade data show that Chinese firms are not only intensifying competition with German exporters in traditional markets such as the European Union, but are also much more strongly positioned in fast-growing emerging and developing economies, thereby consolidating their presence in the markets of the future.
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Kruis et al. (2026) studied this question.
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