Germany’s trade deficit with China reaches €55 billion in first half of 2026

No outlet rated left has run this story so far. We are still checking, and will say plainly if that does not change.

• The four centre-rated digests and reports led on the widening trade deficit and the 12% drop in German exports to China. Devdiscourse and Reuters both highlighted China’s growing independence and technological advancement as key factors behind the shift. Devdiscourse’s full report described the deficit as a sign of China’s reduced reliance on Western economies, while IndexBox’s digest noted that China’s weak domestic economy and self-sufficiency were reshaping the trade relationship.
• All centre-rated reports included the €55 billion deficit figure and the 12% year-on-year decline in exports. Devdiscourse and IndexBox also mentioned the 8.9% rise in imports from China. The full report in Devdiscourse quoted Germany Trade & Invest’s explanation that Chinese firms were cutting reliance on European imports, while IndexBox’s digest cited U.S. tariff pressures as an additional factor.

• The two right-rated digests and the full report in Daily Sabah led on the widening trade gap and China’s reduced dependence on European imports. Daily Sabah’s full report framed the deficit as evidence of China’s growing independence from Western powers, quoting Commerzbank economist Vincent Stamer: “China’s diminishing reliance on Germany showed it is becoming more independent of Western powers and catching up technologically.”
• Both right-rated digests and the full report included the €55 billion deficit and the 12% drop in exports. Daily Sabah’s report also noted that China overtook the U.S. as Germany’s top trading partner in 2025 after U.S. tariffs under President Donald Trump reduced German exports to America. The report quoted Germany Trade & Invest’s Corinne Abele, who said German firms were producing more inside China itself, and Commerzbank’s Stamer, who warned that the “Made in Germany” brand needed to reinvent itself.