German exports to US plunge in 2025 due to tariffs

German exports to the United States plunged last year due to President Donald Trump's tariff blitz, and the trade surplus of Europe's top economy with the US shrunk to a four-year low, data showed Friday.But total exports for 2025 rebounded by around one percent following two years of contraction, as stronger trade with Europe offset falling shipments to the United States, statistics agency Destatis said.German exports to the United States fell 9.3 percent last year, while US imports to Germany rose slightly. Germany's trade surplus with the world's biggest economy was 52.2 billion euros ($62 billion), its lowest level since 2021, after a record surplus the previous year of nearly 70 billion euros. China returned as Germany's biggest trading partner last year, overtaking the US, as exports from the world's number two economy to Germany rose sharply, according to the preliminary data.Europe was in Trump's crosshairs when he launched his tariff onslaught as it runs a hefty trade surplus with the United States, much of it due to German exports. Under a deal struck in July, EU exports to the United States face a baseline levy of 15 percent -- far higher than before Trump's return to office.It was a heavy blow for Germany, whose firms, from well-known automakers and machinery giants to smaller, family-owned companies, have long relied on robust trade with the United States.