US customs policy puts Bavaria in danger: entrepreneurs warn of chaos!

US customs policy puts Bavaria in danger: entrepreneurs warn of chaos!

On July 19, 2025, the Traunstein IHK committee met at KLVrent's offices in Nußdorf for an important discussion about current US customs policy. Under the leadership of foreign trade expert Christoph Angerbauer, the effects on companies in the region were examined. This customs policy is now causing considerable uncertainty. Angerbauer reported on his experiences during an exchange with US economic experts in Washington and made it clear that the USA is the most important export market for Bavaria with 28.9 billion euros and accounts for 12.8 percent of the overall balance.

The Bavarian economy imports goods worth 12.8 billion euros from the USA, making it sixth among importing countries. The current situation is further complicated by the political stability of Trump, who has a majority in both houses of Congress. Uncertainty and instability in US economic policy is forecast for the next three years. Important political factors include strengthening the US economy, fighting China's technological progress and rebuilding military production capacities.

Consequences of customs policy

The entrepreneurs report incalculable additional costs due to customs policy, which makes cooperation with US companies significantly more difficult. Massive fee increases for container ships wanting to call at US ports are an additional problem. Angerbauer advises companies to stay in touch with American trading partners and to check their contracts thoroughly. BMW has already mobilized sellers in the USA to take countermeasures.

Also important are the reductions in US customs staff and numerous lawsuits over unjustified tariffs, which reinforce the impression of “uncontrolled conditions”. Angerbauer recommended that entrepreneurs prepare for various scenarios. In this context, IHK committee chairman Nikolaus Binder spoke out, emphasizing the importance of bureaucratic hurdles in Europe and Germany. He calls for these to be reduced and investments to be made easier in order to compensate for the losses caused by the US punitive tariffs.

Global impact and market uncertainties

The far-reaching consequences of US tariff policy are also noticeable on global stock markets. On April 8, 2025, sharply falling prices were reported. This market uncertainty is exacerbated by fears of a global economic crisis. There was a short-term recovery on the stock markets on Tuesday, but it showed less loss than feared. Ulrike Malmendier, a respected economist, emphasizes that the tariff increases have a negative impact on the US economy in particular and quickly lead to inflation that is borne by consumers.

As one of the strongest industrial nations, Germany suffers particularly from these tariffs. Malmendier also warns of the possibility of a global recession due to the strong economic power of the USA. She believes that the current situation could be on the scale of the 2008 financial crisis or the Great Depression about 100 years ago. These concerns are further fueled by the economic uncertainty of recent years, including the coronavirus and energy crises.

Overall, it remains to be seen what developments surrounding US customs policy and global markets will develop in the coming months. The uncertainty not only affects entrepreneurs in Bavaria, but also the entire international economic situation.

For more information on this topic you can visit the reports Rosenheim24 and ZDF today read up.