Germany-Russia trade plunges 86% in 1st half of 2026 from prewar levels

By Mucahithan Avcioglu

ISTANBUL (AA) - Trade in goods between Germany and Russia plunged approximately 86% in the first half of 2026 compared with prewar levels in 2021, official figures showed Wednesday.

Bilateral trade fell from around €27.7 billion ($31.1 billion) to €3.9 billion, according to data released by Germany's Federal Statistical Office, Destatis.

German imports from Russia dropped 96.4% to just over €500 million in January-June, compared with €15 billion in the same period five years earlier.

Exports to Russia declined 73.1% to €3.4 billion from €12.7 billion, the figures showed.

The decline followed EU sanctions imposed after the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, which restricted trade and financial ties between the two countries.

Oil and natural gas, which accounted for 61.5% of German imports from Russia in the first half of 2021, worth €9.2 billion, were replaced by other leading import categories.

Food and animal feed accounted for 38.7% of imports in the first half of 2026, followed by metals at 31.6% and chemical products at 18%.

Pharmaceutical products represented 42.4% of German exports to Russia, ahead of machinery at 11.1% and food and animal feed at 10.5%.

Before the war, machinery and automotive products had been Germany's leading exports to Russia.

- Corporate ties weaken

The number of Russian-controlled companies in Germany fell from 229 in 2021 to 76 in 2024, according to the figures.

Their combined annual turnover declined from €25.4 billion to €8.4 billion over the same period.

German-controlled companies operating in Russia also decreased from 481 to 290, according to Bundesbank figures cited by Destatis.

Their annual turnover fell from around €38 billion to €13 billion.

- Travel and education exchanges decline

Direct passenger flights between Germany and Russia dropped to almost zero amid flight restrictions.

Around 39,900 passengers departed German airports with Russia as their last known destination in the first half of 2026, down 95.9% from the same period in 2019.

These journeys involved connections through countries such as Türkiye, according to the data.

The figures exclude passengers who booked separate tickets for onward travel through third countries.

Meanwhile, around 3,800 Russian citizens moved to Germany in the first half of 2026, while 4,400 left.

The number of Russian students with foreign university entrance qualifications beginning studies in Germany stood at 1,700 in 2025, down 52% from its 2014 peak.

Mücahithan Avcıoğlu