Facts and figures

Foreign trade

Baden-Württemberg is the German federal state with the highest exports. The economy in the South-West benefits particularly from the large foreign demand for motor vehicles and vehicle parts as well as machinery.

At more than EUR 45 billion, the export volume of motor vehicles and vehicle parts makes up nearly 23 percent of all exports. The proportion of machinery in exported goods contributes approx. 20 percent at around EUR 41 billion. In spite of relatively high exports, the federal state is nevertheless a net importer for chemical products and metals.

In 2017, the federal state of Baden-Württemberg achieved an export surplus of around EUR 30 billion. However, this is primarily from trade with countries outside Europe. A near-balance applies in relation to the rest of the Eurozone. The USA is the largest export market for Baden-Württemberg, with a goods value of more than EUR 24 billion. This is followed by France and Switzerland at EUR 15.5 billion each.

Switzerland ranks highest in relation to imports to Baden-Württemberg at EUR 15.6 billion; the United States comes sixth at EUR 11.6 billion.