Exports to China fall - USA narrows gap significantly

China's lead over the USA as Saxony's most important export partner has shrunk despite the tariffs raised by US President Donald Trump. In the first half of 2025, Saxon goods worth 2.709 billion euros reached the USA, according to the State Statistical Office.

This corresponds to an increase of nine percent compared to the same period last year, although the figures remained below the 2024 level after the tariffs were raised in May and June. The shortfall compared to the decline in exports to China (2.711 billion euros, minus 15 percent) amounted to around two million euros.

IHK Managing Director: No premature all-clear

The all-clear should be given with caution, said Lars Fiehler, Managing Director of IHK Dresden, when asked by Deutsche Presse-Agentur. "In case of doubt, sales in the first half of 2025 will still be fed to a considerable extent by supply contracts that have to be concluded and fulfilled before the tightened customs problems."

Fiehler pointed to Saxony's foreign trade business with the USA, which has been susceptible to fluctuations in recent years, regardless of Trump's policies. "The impact of the new tariffs will therefore also be reflected in the statistics with a time lag," he said.

At the beginning of April, US President Donald Trump announced a global tariff package. After some back and forth, a basic tariff of 10 percent applied to EU exports to the USA in May, as well as sector tariffs of 25 percent on imports of cars and car parts and tariffs of 50 percent on steel and aluminum products. Since August 7, a tariff of 15 percent has applied to EU exports to the United States.

Europe remains the most important sales market

In total, goods with a total value of 26.8 billion euros were exported from Saxony in the first half of 2025 - an increase of six percent compared to the same period last year. Almost two thirds went to European countries. Europe thus remains the largest sales market for Saxony. In addition to the United Kingdom with 2.3 billion euros (+16 percent), the EU members Czech Republic with 1.6 billion euros (+15 percent), France with 1.6 billion euros (+15 percent) and Poland with 1.5 billion euros (+9 percent) led the way.

USA doubles its import share

Imports grew by 14 percent to 19.9 billion euros in the same period. Here too, China is the largest supplier of electrotechnical goods in first place (2.35 billion euros, up 7 percent). It is followed by the neighboring country of the Czech Republic (EUR 2.29 billion, down 2 percent) with a focus on aircraft. Imports from the USA more than doubled to 1.97 billion euros.