German merchandise exports were valued at €803.2bn in 2009 and  imported commodities were valued at €667.1 billion in 2009. German exports in 2009 were 18.4% and imports 17.2% below the respective 2008 levels. This was the highest decline recorded in foreign trade in relation to both imports and exports since 1950 and in 2009, China becoming the world's top exporter. Exports were up 3.0% in December, compared with the previous month.

Germany's federal statistics office, Destatis, said as regards the world’s top exporting nations, Germany as the largest exporter was overtaken by China in 2009. According to information from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, Chinese exports amounted to US $1,201.7bn, while German exports totalled US $1,121.3bn in the year. The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of €136.1bn in 2009. In 2008, the foreign trade balance showed a surplus of €178.3bn.

According to provisional data from the central bank, Deutsche Bundesbank, the current account of the balance of payments showed a surplus of €119.4bn in 2009, which included the balance of services (–€15.8bn), factor income (net) (–€43.3bn), current transfers (–33.0 bn) and supplementary trade items (–11.3bn). In 2008, the German current account showed a surplus of €165.2bn.

In 2009, Germany shipped commodities to the value of €503.5bn to the member states of the European Union, while it received commodities to the value of €431.0 billion from those countries. Compared with 2008, dispatches to and arrivals from the EU countries decreased by 19.1% and 15.9%, respectively.

Commodities to the value of €344.9bn (–16.1%) were dispatched to the Eurozone countries in 2009, while the value of commodities received from those countries was €306.5bn (–13.6%). Commodities to the value of €158.7bn (–25.0%) were shipped to EU countries not belonging to the Eurozone in 2009, while the value of the commodities which arrived from those countries was €124.5bn (–21.1%).

German exports to the Eurozone at 38% of the total compare with about 41% for Ireland (December data not yet available). Advocates of Ireland quitting the euro argue that Irish trade is overwhelmingly with the US and UK.
 
German exports to the value of €299.7bn  and imports worth €236.1bn were traded outside the EU. Compared with 2008, exports to third countries decreased by 17.1%, and imports from those countries by 19.4%.
 
In December 2009, Germany exported commodities to the value of €69.0 billion. For the first time since October 2008, exports were above the level of the same month a year earlier. Compared with December 2008, exports increased by 3.4%. As regards imports, Germany imported commodities to the value of €55.5bn in December 2009, which was a 6.5% decline on December 2008. After season adjustment, exports increased by 3.0% and imports by 4.5% in December 2009 on November 2009.