Thuringia shines: export growth despite global challenges!

Thuringia shines: export growth despite global challenges!

Thuringia increased exports by 1.4 percent in the first quarter of 2025, which corresponds to an increase of 65.4 million euros. In total, the total value of exported goods was 4.8 billion euros, like South Germans reported. The largest increases in value were recorded in exports to Turkey, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. In detail, exports to Turkey increased by 51.6 million euros, to Taiwan by 42.3 million euros and to the United Kingdom by 38.7 million euros.

Exports to the United States, Thuringia's most important foreign trade partner, increased by around 5.5 million euros, an increase of 1 percent. Thomas Fahlbusch from the IHK Erfurt referred to “anticipatory effects” in trade with the USA due to US President Donald Trump’s customs policy. The increases are particularly noticeable in the central industrial areas of Thuringia.

Industries on the rise

The largest increases in certain sectors are particularly noticeable: exports of passenger cars and mobile homes increased by 33 percent, while pharmaceutical products increased by 24.3 percent. In contrast, there was a decline in exports to neighboring EU countries, which amounted to 48.3 million euros, a decline of 2 percent. The decline is particularly noticeable in exports to France, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.

In the first quarter of 2025, Thuringia's imports were 4.6 billion euros, which corresponds to an increase of 3.5 percent or 156.6 million euros compared to the same period last year. NNZ highlights that the main cause of this increase was the increase in imports from the United Kingdom, which increased by 42.2 percent and increased by 118.8 million euros.

Changes in the import market

Another notable area is the significant increase in aircraft, which recorded an increase of 126.6 million euros or 41.3 percent. In contrast, there was a decline in electricity generation and distribution equipment, which fell by 82.3 million euros or 8.6 percent.

The development of exports also shows negative sides: While there was a high increase in passenger cars and pharmaceutical products, there was a drastic decline in exports to Algeria by 48.2 million euros (-83.7 percent) and to Brazil by 42.2 million euros (-62.9 percent). Despite the challenges in foreign trade, Thuringia shows, both in terms of exports and imports, that it is ready to adapt to the current geopolitical and economic conditions.