Six years after Brexit, trade relations between Germany and the United Kingdom have stabilized, according to German Economy Minister Katharina Reiche.
Speaking at a German-British economic conference in Berlin, she said the United Kingdom had returned to Germany’s top 10 trading partners. According to her, in 2025, the volume of trade between the two countries had reached around 118 billion euros. Germany imported around 33 billion euros of goods from Britain, while exporting around 80 billion euros to it. Reiche stressed that hundreds of companies operate in both countries and that this economic cooperation contributes to increased welfare.
She stated that economic ties between the two countries are “stable and real,” adding that there is potential for their further deepening.
According to her, the crises of recent years have shown that global markets no longer function in an automated manner, citing the recent tensions in the Strait of Hormuz as an example of international instability.
Germany and the United Kingdom, according to the minister, share common interests in areas such as trade, technology and supply chain security, especially in critical raw materials. She also stressed the need for a new framework for cooperation after Britain’s exit from the European Union, given that the EU no longer serves as a common platform.
For his part, British Economy Minister Peter Kyle stated that a further deepening of economic relations is being aimed at, including cooperation in the procurement of rare metals. He described this moment as an “extraordinary opportunity” to rebuild relations between the two countries. The new cooperation is based on an agreement signed in July 2025, which foresees strengthening relations in the fields of defense, security, economy, health and culture.
The United Kingdom officially left the European Union on January 31, 2020, while the single market was abandoned at the end of that year, following the 2016 referendum. (DW)