Lower thirds:

00:02 Report by Kerstin Schweizer

Script:

Germany is the third-largest economy in the world after the United States, and China, and one of the leading export nations. The most important bestseller is cars.

TC 00:00:13 - 00:22
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Cars make up 17 percent of Germany's exports. These are followed by machinery and chemical products.
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For a long time, business was good. Many industrial companies have developed into world market leaders. This has made Germany rich.

TC 00:33- 00:50
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Last year, goods worth over 1,550 billion euros were exported. Significantly more than imported. The bottom line was a trade surplus of 239 billion euros.
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However, the business model is shaky. The US was Germany's most important sales market in 2024. This could quickly change due to the tariffs announced by Donald Trump.

TC 01:04
Things are also going poorly in China. Cars with combustion engines have gone from bestsellers to also-rans. Chinese companies have become leaders in electric cars.

TC: 01:19
Germany is in recession and, according to forecasts, will barely grow in 2025.

TC: 01:23- 01:36
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The economy has many problems.
High energy costs burden companies.
There's also a shortage of skilled workers.
Germany is also slipping further in terms of innovation power.
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Too static, too bureaucratic, too old. Germany lives to a large extent on the achievements of its established industries. In important sectors such as AI and data management, others are leading the way.