Economy of Germany in the context of "Trade deficit"

The economy of the European Union is the joint economy of the member states of the European Union (EU). It is the second largest economy in the world in nominal terms, after the United States, and the third largest at purchasing power parity (PPP), after China and the US. The European Union's GDP is estimated to be $19.99 trillion (nominal) in 2025 or $29.18 trillion (PPP), representing around one-sixth of the global economy. Germany, France and Italy are the three largest economies in the European Union, accounting for approximately 51.9% of the EU's total GDP. Germany contributes 23.7%, while France accounts for 16.1% and Italy for 12.1%. In 2023, the social welfare expenditure of the European Union (EU) as a whole was 26.8% of its GDP.

The EU has total banking assets of more than $38 trillion, France accounts for 26% ($10 trillion) of Europe's total banking assets followed by Germany with 18% ($7 trillion) and Italy with 8% ($3 trillion).Global assets under management in the EU is more than $12 trillion, with France accounting for more than 33% ($4 trillion) of Europe's total AUM followed by Germany with 16% ($2 trillion) and Italy with 12% ($1 trillion). Paris is by far the economically strongest city in the EU, with a GDP exceeding $1 trillion. Paris is a major economic hub in the EU, with Euronext Paris, the largest stock exchange in the EU by market cap. Frankfurt, Germany's financial center, is the second-largest in the EU, hosting the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, although it is significantly smaller than Paris in terms of market cap and economic influence.

The economy of the State of California is the largest in the United States, with a $4.048 trillion gross state product (GSP) as of 2024. It is the largest sub-national economy in the world. If California were an independent nation, it would rank as the fourth largest economy in the world in nominal terms, behind Germany and ahead of Japan.

California's Silicon Valley is home to some of the world's most valuable technology companies, including Apple, Alphabet, and Nvidia. As of June 2025, 58 of the Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in California.

Balance of trade is the difference between the monetary value of a nation's exports and imports of goods over a certain time period. Sometimes, trade in services is also included in the balance of trade but the official IMF definition only considers goods. The balance of trade measures a flow variable of exports and imports over a given period of time. The notion of the balance of trade does not mean that exports and imports are "in balance" with each other.

If a country exports a greater value than it imports, it has a trade surplus or positive trade balance, and conversely, if a country imports a greater value than it exports, it has a trade deficit or negative trade balance. As of 2016, about 60 out of 200 countries have a trade surplus. The world's largest trade surpluses are held by China ($823 billion), Germany ($226 billion), and Singapore ($154 billion), while the largest trade deficits are held by the United States ($1.15 trillion), United Kingdom ($271 billion), and India ($241 billion).