Germany exported €134 billion worth of chemicals to non-EU countries in 2024, the highest of any European Union member state, new data from Eurostat has revealed.
According to the data, some €560 billion worth of chemicals and related products were exported from the bloc to non-EU countries last year, a new record high, and 7% up on the previous year. In 2023, some €523 billion worth of chemicals was exported.
Other major exporters of chemicals from the European Union included Ireland (€82 billion), Belgium (€62), France (€54 billion) and the Netherlands (€50 billion).
The main extra-EU destination for chemical exports was the United States, which accounted for €170 billion worth of exports, followed by Switzerland (€64 billion), the United Kingdom (€47 billion), China (€36 billion) and Japan (€18 billion).
Chemical imports
The value of imports of chemicals and related products fell by 1%, meanwhile, to €322 billion, a decline from €326 billion the previous year.
Germany was the largest importer of chemicals from non-EU countries, importing €56 billion worth, putting it ahead of Belgium (€45 billion), the Netherlands (€43 billion), Italy (€34 billion) and Slovenia (€29 billion), Eurostat‘s data showed. Read more here.
International Trade in Chemicals and Related Products by the EU (€)
| Partner | 2023 Import | 2023 Export | 2024 Import | 2024 Export |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Switzerland (incl. Liechtenstein) | 65,527,412,721 | 56,444,400,992 | 63,522,917,303 | 64,271,031,345 |
| China | 43,628,888,964 | 39,631,400,845 | 44,012,950,665 | 35,549,270,839 |
| Extra-EU27 | 325,880,547,658 | 523,369,575,365 | 322,242,726,910 | 559,951,803,647 |
| United Kingdom | 30,288,747,147 | 48,382,497,561 | 28,463,469,673 | 46,600,674,022 |
| Japan | 9,379,415,686 | 16,384,291,508 | 8,119,108,951 | 18,214,472,764 |
| United States | 79,696,659,811 | 139,117,519,496 | 78,376,807,491 | 170,079,678,071 |
Read more: Germany’s fiscal deficit narrowed in the first half of 2025
