Key Country Contacts
Trade Overview
Since the reunification over 20 years ago, the German economy has grown steadily to become Europe’s largest and the fourth largest in the world. With a GDP of $2.9 trillion in 2011, Germany was the world’s number 3 exporter and number 3 importer according to the World Trade Organization.
Germany holds the spot as the United States sixth top trading partner, with exports steadily increasing over the past decade.
The United States exported $49.1 billion to Germany in 2011, with 25.6 percent being vehicles. Germany exported $82.7 billion to the US, with 29 percent being vehicles. Chemicals and machinery both contributed the total US imports from Germany with 17 percent each.
As California’s eighth largest trading partner, Germany imported $5.3 billion in goods including 30 percent in computers and electronics. Machinery manufacturers contributed 15 percent, while transportation equipment and chemical manufactures both had approximately 10 percent of the total imported. (US Department of Commerce)
The One-Stop Shop for Trade News between Germany and North America
Foreign Direct Investment
Total investment by German business in the U.S. market reached $218 billion as of year-end 2009. German companies support and employ 240,000 U.S. manufacturing workers and create over 660,000 American jobs. (German American Chambers of Commerce)
Tourism
The California Travel and Tourism Commission unveiled a German Web site to attract more German-speaking travelers to the Golden State. Visit California (Deutsch)
Approximately 338,000 German visitors came to California in 2010, a slight decrease the previous year. Germans spent approximately $325 million in California.
Recent Events
| CalChamber Hosts Delegation from Germany |
 (July 13, 2009) CalChamber-hosted meeting with business and government officials from the state of Baden Württemberg in Germany are (from left): Dr. Hans-Dieter Frey, Ministry of Economics, Baden Württemberg; Acting Consul General Eberhard Brockmann, German Consulate General in San Francisco; Karlheinz Bechtle, Ministry of Economics, Baden Württemberg; Dr. Peter Kulitz, president, Ulm Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Dieter Salomon, mayor, City of Freiburg; The Honorable Ernst Pfister, minister, Ministry of Economics, Baden Württemberg; Dr. Bernd Dallmann, president, German Economic Developers Association; CalChamber President and Chief Executive OfficerAllan Zaremberg; Dr. Michael Hagenmeyer, chief executive officer, Baden Württemberg International; Susanne Stirling, CalChamber vice president, international affairs. Full Article
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| CalChamber Hosts German Minister of Foreign Affairs |
California Partners with CeBIT |
(August 31, 2007) The California Chamber of Commerce hosted the Honorable Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany yesterday, for an international luncheon to discuss climate and energy policy.
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(March 3, 2009) Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger pictured with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Photo Courtesy Governor’s Office
California Business, State’s Leadership in Technology on Display at World’s Largest Technology Trade Fair |