Business in Germany, Berlin

The objectives of the subject “International Trade and Business in” the Federal Republic of Germany” are the following:

1. To analyse the strengths of the German Economy and Foreign Trade (Import, Export, FDI)
2. To know the business opportunities in the German Market
3. To analyse the trade relations of Germany with the country of the student
4. To know the German Free trade agreements as a member of the European Union
5. To understand the importance of Germany as the first European economy and the political leader of the EU
6. To develop a business plan for the German Market

Trade Facilitation Programs

1. World Trade Organisation (WTO)
   1. WTO Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)
   2. WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS)
   3. WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT)
   4. WTO Agreement on Preshipment Inspection (PSI)
   5. WTO Agreement on Safeguards (SG)
   6. WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA)
2. World Customs Organisation (WCO)
   1. Revised Kyoto Convention (RKC)
3. International Convention on the Harmonization of Frontier Controls of Goods (UNECE)
4. Convention on the Carriage of Goods by Sea (Hamburg Rules, UN)
5. Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR, UN)
6. International Road Transport Union (IRU)
   1. TIR Convention
   2. Guidelines on Safe Load Securing for Road Transport
7. Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF)
8. International Bureau of Containers and Intermodal Transport (BIC)
9. International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO, Chicago Convention)
10. International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
    1. International Convention for Safe Containers (CSC)
    2. Convention Relating to Temporary Admission (Istanbul Convention)
11. Customs Convention on Containers (CCC, UN) - not a member
12. International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
13. International Rail Transport Committee (CIT)
14. International Chamber of Shipping (ICS)
15. Uniform Rules concerning the Contract of International Carriage of Goods by Rail (CIM, CIT)

European Trade and Economic Organisations of Germany

1. European Union
   1. European Central Bank
   2. European Investment Bank (EIB)
   3. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
   4. EU-CELAC Summit
   5. Group of States of the European Council Convention against Corruption (GRECO)
2. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
3. Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
4. Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)

Global Organisations

Germany is a member, among others, of...

1. Germany belongs to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since 1 January 1995.
2. Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
3. Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)
4. Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM)
5. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
   1. OECD anti-corruption measures
6. Asian Development Bank
7. African Development Bank (AfDB)
8. Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)
9. United Nations (UN)
   1. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
   2. International Trade Centre (INTRACEN)
   3. Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL)
   4. World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
10. World Bank (WB)
11. International Monetary Fund (IMF)

At a regional level Germany is a founding member of the European Union (EU) and the European Council. As a member of the European Union, Germany is beneficiary of the EU Free trade agreements.

The Federal Republic of Germany (Europe)

1. Borders of Germany: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland
2. Capital of Germany: Berlin
3. Language of Germany: German
4. Area of Germany: 357,022 square kilometres
5. German Population: 82 million people

Religion in Germany: Christianity.

1. Catholicism (50%)
2. Protestants

Germany belongs to the Western Civilisation (European Economic Area)

1. The Nobel Peace Prize Albert Schweitzer was born in Germany

German Economy

1. With a gross domestic product of 2,423 trillion euros, the Federal Republic of Germany is:
   1. The Largest European economy
   2. The Third largest economy in the world
   3. The Fifth largest economy (Purchasing Power Parity)
   4. One of the largest industrialised nations
2. Frankfurt is the financial centre of the Federal Republic of Germany (the largest stock exchange in Europe)
3. The industry is the largest pillar of the German economy (25% of the gross domestic product, 8 million workers)
4. Secondary sector: 30% of the gross domestic product of Germany, 25% of the workforce of the Federal Republic of Germany (10 million people)
5. The services sector is the largest of the German economy (70% of the gross domestic product GDP)
6. The main German companies are Volkswagen, Daimler, Porsche, Siemens, Continental, BMW, Basf, Bayer, Beiersdorf, DHL, Bosch, Infineon, Deutsche Telekom, ThyssenKrupp, Bertelsmann, Lufthansa, SAP, Adidas, Hugo Boss
7. The European Central Bank (ECB) is in Frankfurt
8. Decentralised EU Agency in Germany: the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA): Cologne

German International Trade

1. The Federal Republic of Germany is the second largest exporting country in the world (total imports from Germany correspond to those of France and Italy together), with its annual trade surplus of 160 billion euros
2. The main German exports: machinery, vehicles, metals, chemical products, textiles, manufactures and food products
3. The main German imports: machinery, foods, chemical products, textiles, vehicles and metals
4. The largest German port is the Port of Hamburg
5. With a total of 995 Billions Euros in export products, Germany obtained a surplus in its trade balance of 176 Billions Euros
6. As a member of the European Union, Germany is a beneficiary of the EU Free trade agreements: Canada, Mexico, South Korea, India, Central America, Chile, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia etc
7. Germany controls 20% of the world's container ships (international maritime trade)