IW-Studie: Deutsche China-Investitionen steigen im ersten Halbjahr um ein Drittel

Deutsche businesses significantly increased their investments in China during the first half of the year, according to a study. They poured approximately 5.6 billion euros into the country, according to an evaluation of German Federal Bank data by the Cologne office of the German Economic Institute (IW), which was exclusively provided to Reuters on Sunday.

This figure is roughly one-third higher than the same period last year. However, on a longer-term basis, the figure sits within the usual range, with the average of the first six months for 2020-2025 also being 5.6 billion euros. German corporations are financing the expansion more and more through their own profits in China. "German companies have little choice but to continue investing in China," said IW expert Jürgen Matthes.

"The country is an important export market, and some firms use it as a 'fitness center'." The reasoning behind this is clear: to compete against fierce local competition, businesses must also succeed in the global market. For comparison, German companies reduced their investments in the United States by nearly two-thirds to around 4.3 billion euros in the first half of the year.

This decline was due to American President Donald Trump's economic policies, which imposed heavy tariffs on key trade partners, including the EU and thus Germany.