L R AS Published on Sunday 5 March 2023 - n° 435 - Categories:Germany
Germany's PV trade balance is not so unbalanced
In 2022, around 87% of German imports of photovoltaic systems will come from the People's Republic of China, to the tune of €3.1 billion,
according to the Swiss Federal Statistical Office. China is closely followed by the Netherlands, with goods worth 143 million euros (4% share), and Taiwan (94 million euros, 3%). In total, photovoltaic products worth €3.6 billion entered Germany last year.
In its data on Germany's foreign trade statistics, the Office uses the term "photovoltaic systems" to include not only solar cells but also other photodiodes.
According to the statistics, the value of imports of photovoltaic products in 2022 was almost three times greater than the value of Germany's photovoltaic exports, which totalled just over €1.4 billion. Most of these exports went to European countries. The main buyers were Austria (206 million euros, 14%), the Netherlands (164 million euros, 11%) and Italy (160 million euros, 11%).
The increase in imports is probably due in part to the increase in domestic production of solar panels, as the cells needed for this production largely come from China. From January to September 2022, around 2.9 million solar panels were produced in Germany for sale on the domestic market or abroad, 44% more than in the first three quarters of 2021.
https://www.destatis.de/DE/Home/_inhalt.html
Photon of1 March 2023
Editor's note Germany has a number of panel producers who need to buy cells to make them. As a result, its trade balance is in deficit, but probably at a much lower level than that of France, which has fewer producers. It is curious that we do not have the French trade balance for photovoltaic products.
