Germany has long been an important trade partner of Wisconsin and the United States.
In early February, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released annual trade data, including exports by state of origin and by country of destination, as well as imports by country of origin and state of destination.
In 2023, Wisconsin exported $28.0 billion worth of products to countries around the world. Germany was the destination for $959.2 million worth of Wisconsin exports. Germany continued to rank fourth as a destination for Wisconsin exports following Canada, Mexico, and China.
Leading product categories shipped from Wisconsin to Germany in 2023 included:
Industrial Machinery - $195.2 million
Medical & Scientific Instruments - $132.1 million
Plastic Products - $91.9 million
Electrical Machinery, including Telecommunications - $83.1 million
Chemical Products - $75.1 million
Organic Chemicals - $66.9 million
Essential Oils, Perfumes, & Cosmetics - $55.2 million
Aircraft, Spacecraft, & Parts - $35.2 million
Non-Railway Vehicles & Parts - $33.9 million
Simple Proteins, Modified Starches, Glue, & Enzymes - $29.7 million
Wisconsin's direct imports from Germany totaled $2.6 billion in 2023. Major product categories included:
Industrial Machinery - $959.7 million
Medical & Scientific Instruments - $456.7 million
Pharmaceuticals - $342.6 million
Electrical Machinery, including Telecommunications - $280.6 million
Tools, Cutlery, & Other Metal Products - $93.4 million
Plastic Products - $79.3 million
Raw Iron & Steel - $67.1 million
Special Classification Products - $38.6 million
Miscellaneous Chemicals $35.9 million
Processed Iron & Steel Products - $30.6 million
Sometimes German products destined for Wisconsin are shipped to U.S distributors in other states before they are ultimately delivered to customers in Wisconsin. Because of the way that trade data is collected, such products will likely be recorded as imports in the state(s) where the German supplier or U.S. importer has distribution hubs rather than Wisconsin.