According to VDMA, an industry organisation focussed on machinery and equipment manufacturing in Europe and Germany, uncertainty continues to characterise German machinery exports.

For the first half of 2026, exports fell nominally by 0.8 percent compared with the previous year and by 2.5 percent in price-adjusted terms. In total, machinery and equipment worth EUR99.3 billion (USD114.98 billion) was exported, while machinery imports rose in the same period by a nominal 2.2 percent to EUR47.9 billion (USD55.46 billion).

Looking at German exports to specific regions, VDMA reports that for the first half of 2026, exports to the USA increased by 0.5 percent and exports to China decreased by 13.8 percent.

However, exports from Germany to the European Union achieved a stable result with a small increase of 1.3 percent.

Within the EU, however, the picture was mixed: France and the Netherlands, ranked third and fifth among the most important export countries, recorded increases of 3.6 and 5.1 percent, respectively.

Italy, ranked fourth, had to absorb a slight decline of 0.5 percent. With an export share of 45.9 percent, the EU remained the most important sales region for machinery and equipment manufacturing from Germany.

Summarising the results, according to VDMA, the outlook for the second half of the year remains uncertain.

“Geopolitical tensions, US tariff policy and the persistently weak China business weighed on machinery exports in the first half of the year,” says VDMA economic expert Anke Uhlig.

“However, a largely stable second quarter, and in particular, the strong 6.8 percent increase in exports in June limited the half-year decline to 0.8 percent.”