In total, machinery and systems worth more than 155 billion euros were sold abroad in 2015. This was an increase of 2.6% on the previous year (2014: just under 152 billion euros). After deducting price increases, this represents a real increase of 0.9%. The fourth quarter only saw nominal growth in exports of 1.1% (minus 0.3% in real terms).

According to VDMA Chief Economist Dr. Ralph Wiechers, the picture of the importance of individual markets has been readjusted in light of the aforementioned uncertainties. China, for example, was replaced by the USA at the top of the most important machinery export markets. While mechanical engineering exports to China fell by 5.9% to 16 billion euros, exports to the USA rose by 11.2% to 16.8 billion euros.

The second significant change was in business with Russia. This fell again by 26.8% to just 4.7 billion euros. Russia, which was still the fourth most important trading partner behind China, the USA and France in 2013, was ranked tenth among German export destinations in 2015. A neighboring country has moved into the spotlight: business with Poland recorded the strongest absolute growth in Europe. Exports there increased by 14% to 5.7 billion euros - eighth place among the export markets.

Exports to the EU as a whole grew by 6.7% to just under 70 billion euros. This means that 44.8% of all machines exported by Germany were sold in the EU. Almost all countries contributed to this growth, with Italy and Spain even recording double-digit growth, while exports to France, the third most important market for German machinery exporters, remained exactly at the previous year's level

Only sporadic impetus came from non-European emerging markets. In Latin America, the 40.4% increase in exports to Mexico stood out, with this market overtaking Brazil to become one of the "Top 20". South America as a whole remained 6.2 % below the previous year's figure, as did South East Asia with a drop of 7.6 %. The OPEC countries as a whole remained 9.2% below the previous year's order level in the wake of falling oil prices, while Saudi Arabia and the Emirates were each able to increase their orders by a further 7.2%.

Import growth exceeds export growth

Imports of mechanical engineering products grew slightly faster than exports in 2015 at 4.5% to €62 billion. While imports from Italy, the most important country of origin for German imports of mechanical engineering products, fell slightly and imports from Switzerland rose slightly, imports from China and the USA actually saw double-digit growth.

Wiechers believes that the importance of the USA as a trading partner for German mechanical engineering companies is underlined by the data from 2015. "We are looking forward to the Hannover Messe with the USA as our guest country and continue to hope for good progress on the TTIP free trade agreement," he summarized.