International trade in services refers to the exchange of intangible services such as financial services, tourism or IT between countries. Unlike in goods trade, no physical goods are exchanged. Globalisation, technological developments and the opening-up of markets have greatly increased its importance.

On the occasion of the 100th birthday of the German balance of payments, an anniversary volume was published by Springer-Verlag, which can also be downloaded free of charge at the following link.

German enterprises constitute net debtors vis-à-vis non-residents: Standing at €1798 billion at the end of April 2026, their liabilities arising from financial operations and trade credits, exceeded their corresponding assets of €1534 billion by €263 billion. Compared with the previous month, this is a change of €18 billion.

The statistics on services by mode of supply provide information on how the service was provided. A distinction is made between four categories.

The statistics on services trade by enterprise characteristics enable a sound assessment of enterprises involved in international trade in services. They provide a valuable foundation for economic policy decisions and analyses.

Germany's economic ties with other countries are reflected in various foreign trade statistics. The country profiles summarize all foreign trade statistics for selected countries to facilitate the analysis of these relationships.

Monthly turnover data are available for industry and the retail trade sector. Quarterly time series are published for the services sector. The results for the retail trade are also included in the calculation of private consumption.

The change in the global world order and economic system isn’t a temporary phenomenon. Globalisation and digitalisation mean this change will be a perpetual process, First Deputy Governor Sabine Mauderer announced at a symposium organised by the Institute for Banking and Financial History (IBF) and the Center for Financial Studies (CFS). Hosted by the Bundesbank’s Regional Office in Hesse, this event saw participants discuss how trade conflicts can impact on the global economic system. Bundesbank Executive Board member Fritzi Köhler-Geib spoke on a panel about the outlook for the German and European economy.