Germanys Export strength under fire | Made in Germany

The balance of trade is arguably just a statistical construct. It's the difference between all goods, services and assets a country exports and imports. Now the trade balance has become a point of contention: the US is accusing Germany of exporting much too much.

[talijah]

The thing is that they're inherently minimalist people. They are notoriously known to be the biggest savers in Europe even if taxes are reduced and incremental salary that would not make them change old habit of being austere in their lifestyle... As it's extremely hard to change Americans from being less wasteful so as Germans to be big spenders... Old habits die hard...

[southflorida]

Good for Germany! Greetings from Miami

[MaximKretsch]

A German here. A continuous trade surplus is nothing to be proud of. Until 1971 we got at least gold in exchange for goods. (Except that this gold never came to Germany but is supposed to still be stored in the vaults of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Bank of England, but that's a different story.) The bad thing about it from 1971 on was that year per year we got fiat money in exchange for real goods. The day this fiat money piled up to our chin turns out to be worthless - and this day will come - is the day we will notice that we have been working for decades for nothing but to amass the wealth of those who printed that green paper.

[Whoo]

lol! Seriously, U.S. and EU officials??  If it weren't for the German export-led growth, the EU would probably be NOT NEARLY AS WEALTHY or powerful!  Besides, what about Scandinavia?  Their economies may not be nearly as powerful, but they ARE very competitive on exports.

How'd that happen? Come on, foreign officials... grow a spine

[Ayo]

That bunk head has the worst arguments.

[ddck]

What a bunch of BS.
How much highly specialized machinery and construction equipment is the average German supposed to buy? Of course Germany is exporting more than it's importing, but that has something to do with the kind of product it's producing. It's not something everybody can build.

[omegachimp]

Russia would really really wont some german imports i bet. 

[WiiPetUwU]

Gross National Product
Early in the morning when the factory siren roars
And the time-clock groans lustfully when you stick your card in
The neon sun shines in the assembly shop
And the forklift driver with the stacking fork boasts
yeah, then it's time to spit on your hands
We're raising the gross national product,
yeah, yeah, yeah, it's time to spit on our hands.

The nurse gets quite the scare,
Another sick person is gone,
They amputated his last leg
And now he's really buckling himself down
yeah, now it's time to spit on your hands
We're raising the gross national product,
yeah, yeah, yeah, it's time to spit on our hands.

When Grandpa jumps on his bike on Sunday
And sneaks into the factory
Then Grandma is afraid that he'll break apart
Because grandpa's working an extra shift again today
yeah, now it's time to spit on your hands
We're raising the gross national product,
yeah, yeah, yeah, it's time to spit on our hands.

O-o-on Christmas everyone lies around and says puh-uh-uh-uh
The trash bin won't close anymore
The tables with presents get more and more colorful
And on Wednesday the garbage man comes and takes all the plunder
and says: yeah, now it's time to spit on your hands
We're raising the gross national product,
yeah, yeah, yeah, it's time to spit on our hands.

Early in the morning when the factory siren roars
And the time-clock groans lustfully when you stick your card in
Then the work-mania has taken hold of one after the other
And now they're all singing together in
The work
Yeah! Now it's time to spit on your hands
We're raising the gross national product! Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Now it's time to spit on your hands
We're raising the gross national product! Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Now it's time to spit on your hands

[omegachimp]

Germany can export to Russia everything.