General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: For our isolationistic nationalism loving DU'ers who want the world to be a bigger place [View all]Spider Jerusalem
(21,786 posts)Which honestly isn't "way way down"; compared to its peak it's significantly less than the decline in sterling, for instance. Here's a chart for you; comparative unit labour costs in manufacturing are nearly 25% higher in US dollars in Germany. And of course Germany is running a trade surplus with the US; the US imports more from Germany than Germany imports from the US, that's how that works. And the dollar value of German exports is higher; German exports to the US tend to be cars, consumer electronics and domestic appliances; US exports to Germany on the other hand are mostly heavy machinery, aircraft and pharmaceuticals. Even so Germany accounts for over 4% of total US exports. Adjusted for relative GDP US imports comprise a larger percentage of the German economy than German imports do the US.