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Germany imports 95% fewer goods from Russia than before war in Ukraine

Germany's foreign trade relationship with Russia has undergone a dramatic transformation since the onset of the war in Ukraine, with imports from Russia dropping by 94.6% in 2024 compared to pre-war levels in 2021. According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), German imports from Russia fell from €33.1 billion in 2021 to just €1.8 billion last year, driven by the European Union's 17 sanctions packages targeting Russian energy, industrial and financial sectors.

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Exports from Germany to Russia also declined, though to a lesser degree, falling by 71.6% from €26.6 billion in 2021 to €7.6 billion in 2024.

These shifts reflect the impact of far-reaching EU measures, including bans on specific imports such as crude oil and gas, restrictions on exports related to military and industrial goods, exclusion from the SWIFT banking system, and efforts to block sanction evasion via third-country trade. However, Destatis notes: "The extent to which this is successful cannot be determined based on foreign trade data alone."

Russia's share of Germany's total imports dropped from 2.8% in 2021 to just over 0.1% in 2024. Similarly, its share of German exports fell from 1.9% to 0.5%. Russia has since fallen to 59th place among Germany's top supplier nations—down from 12th—and to 36th place among export destinations, compared to 15th in 2021.

Notably, Germany recorded a €5.8 billion trade surplus with Russia in 2024—the largest since the collapse of the Soviet Union. This contrasts sharply with the record €21.8 billion trade deficit in 2022, when surging energy prices caused a spike in import values despite falling export volumes.

The nature of traded goods has also shifted significantly. In 2021, crude oil and natural gas accounted for €19.5 billion—58.8%—of Germany's imports from Russia. By 2024, these had virtually disappeared, with metals (€0.8 billion, 42.3%), chemical products (24.7%) and food and feed (15.2%) comprising the main imports.

German exports to Russia in 2024 were led by pharmaceutical and similar products, which made up 30.6% of outbound trade (€2.3 billion), followed by chemical goods (13.9%) and machinery (11.9%). In contrast, machinery alone had accounted for 21.9% of German exports to Russia in 2021.

EU-wide trade figures mirror the German experience. Imports from Russia fell by 78.0% to €36.0 billion in 2024, down from €163.6 billion in 2021. The EU's trade deficit with Russia narrowed dramatically to just €4.5 billion in 2024—its smallest since records began in 2002—after reaching a peak of €147.5 billion in 2022.

Despite these reductions, the EU still imported €21.3 billion worth of oil and gas from Russia last year—59.1% of all Russian imports—primarily by Hungary (21.8%), Slovakia (15.8%) and France (14.5%). EU exports to Russia, meanwhile, totalled €31.6 billion in 2024, down 64.6% from 2021. The leading export categories were pharmaceuticals (28.1%), chemicals (13.9%), and food/feed (9.5%).

Data provided by Destatis and Eurostat form the basis of this analysis.

More information:
Destatis
www.destatis.de

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