Overview

• German mid-sized exporters active abroad fell from 880,000 in 2022 to 763,000 in 2023, reducing their share of the Mittelstand from 23% to 20%.
• Total foreign sales dipped to €698 billion as many firms exited overseas markets under tougher external conditions.
• Companies still trading internationally expanded export revenues to account for 29% of their total turnover.
• A January 2025 KfW survey found 25% of exporters saw foreign sales decline in 2024, while 21% reported growth.
• Among firms with US operations, 43% expect negative effects from Donald Trump’s proposed tariff increases.