Russia is still playing an important role as a supplier of energy for Germany, but rapidly loses its former importance for German firms as an export market. However, losses in Russia, as well as in Belarus, Germany enterprises are more than compensated for by the growth of trade with Poland, the Czech Republic and other members of the European Union in Eastern Europe. At the same time, the importance of economic cooperation with the countries of Central Asia and the South Caucasus is growing rapidly. The largest percentage growth is recorded with Azerbaijan.
These are the main conclusions from the foreign trade statistics of Germany for the first half of 2022, represented by the Eastern Committee of the German Economy (OST-AUSCHUSS DER Deutschen Wirtschaft). This influential entrepreneurial organization lobbies the interests of German firms leading business with 29 former social stories of Eastern Europe and post -Soviet states. The Eastern Committee has direct access to the database of the Federal Statistical Department of Germany (Destatis) and the exclusive right to publish statistics regarding the region with which it works.
In the presented statistics, it is striking that in the first half of the year Germany increased imports from Azerbaijan and more than 92% of Kazakhstan by 342%. Azerbaijani deliveries have grown from 209 million euros last year to more than 922 million euros in the current. If in the first six months of last year, Kazakhstan exported 1.65 billion euros to the Federal Republic of Germany, then this time supplies for the same period amounted to 3.17 billion euros.
The turnover also increased with other countries of the South Caucasus – Georgia and Armenia.
“We can proceed from the fact that this region will also benefit from the desire of enterprises to find Russia alternatives now,” says the Eastern Committee of the German Economy.