Economy, Foreign Trade

Germany is a significant trading nation and one of the export leaders of the world, in close competition with Japan and the much larger United States. Germany’s main trading partners are countries in Europe, such as France, the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Italy, and the United States. Before unification, there was a considerable volume of trade or barter between East Germany and West Germany. When the two Germanys united, however, the insatiable hunger of East Germans for West German goods—especially cars, video recorders, and color television sets—boosted West German retail trade and made many West Germans rich. Once East German appetites were satisfied, and the East Germans rediscovered the worth of their own products, the German trade balance returned to its positive preunification levels.