Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the Bundesbank's report entitled What’s behind the sustained decline in German export market shares?, published on 14 July 2025.

Germany is the UK’s second-largest trading partner globally. We recognise the importance of resolving trade frictions between the UK and Germany where they occur. Our new UK-Germany Treaty, signed on 17 July, has economic growth and industrial collaboration at its heart. This will help drive trade between the UK and Germany through both a series of ‘Lighthouse projects’ and a broader implementation plan. For example, a new Business-Government Forum will connect the UK and German governments with leading businesses to identify opportunities and barriers to growth, with a focus on growth-driving sectors including advanced manufacturing, life sciences and financial services.