The global economy is faltering – there is no sign of a recovery in German foreign trade. As the current AHK World Business Outlook (WBO) Spring 2025 shows, the economic expectations of German companies around the globe have collapsed.
The AHK World Business Outlook is based on feedback from around 4,600 German companies in over 90 countries that were surveyed between 17 March and 14 April 2025. The survey period therefore coincided with a phase of significant geopolitical upheaval – including Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" and its immediate consequences for trade policy.
Economic expectations of companies
The mood is gloomy worldwide: only 19 per cent of companies expect the local economy to improve – in autumn, the figure was 27 per cent.
The proportion of those expecting a deterioration has risen to 33 per cent. "The global upheavals, from the USA to Europe and Asia, are changing the rules of the game in international business.
The uncertainty among companies must be seen as a challenge to politicians in Berlin and Brussels to improve the competitiveness of their own locations and enter into new, resilient trade relations worldwide."
Read the World Business Outlook here and learn more about the developments.
Download WBO Spring 2025
Source: https://www.dihk.de/en/international/ahk-world-business-outlook-spring-2025-global-mood-tilts-131708
