Export cargo transportation from Germany, transport support for import and export commodity flows in Germany

Germany is the most powerful country in the European Union in terms of economy. The German economy has long entered the post-industrial era. More than 50% of the country's GDP is generated by the service sector. Approximately 46% of GDP is created in manufacturing. Only one-tenth of a percent of GDP comes from agriculture, which employs no more than 3% of the country's population. At the same time, agriculture in Germany is very well developed, and meat and dairy products from this country are supplied abroad in significant volumes. The high standard of living and consumption generates powerful transport flows, both for exporting products abroad and for importing them from abroad.

General assessment of Germany's transport infrastructure

The transport infrastructure in Germany is at the highest level. The high standard of living, combined with the purely German desire to do everything in the best possible way, bears fruit. It is no coincidence that the German word "Autobahn" is used in many languages to characterize the highest quality roads. Germany has a developed infrastructure for the functioning of all modern modes of transport: road, air, water, and rail. The logistics structure is gradually changing, adapting to the times. Thus, the length of German railways is gradually decreasing, while there is a sharp increase in air transportation. Currently, the most common cargo transportation in Germany is by road, which has even surpassed rail transportation in volume.

Road infrastructure in Germany

Germany has one of the densest road networks in the world. The quality of German roads has long become a benchmark and a source of envy not only in the CIS countries but also in developed states of old Europe. The total length of German roads is about 645,000 km. There are no unpaved public roads in the country. The autobahns extend over 12,500 km, and another 41,000 kilometers of roads are federal highways.

Unlike most European countries, there are no toll roads in Germany. In 2016, the issue of charging for road use was raised; however, the actual introduction of road fees has been constantly postponed, and it is unknown whether they will be introduced at all.

German aviation infrastructure

The volume of air transportation to and from Germany is constantly growing. The entire infrastructure ensuring the takeoff, landing, and servicing of aircraft is being modernized and improved. There are more than forty airports in Germany, 15 of which provide air transportation between Germany and the rest of the world. These airports include the two Berlin airports - Tegel and Schönefeld, as well as Bremen:

• Hamburg;
• Hannover;
• Dresden;
• Düsseldorf;
• Cologne (also serves Bonn);
• Leipzig;
• Münster;
• Munich;
• Nuremberg;
• Saarbrücken;
• Stuttgart;
• Erfurt airports.

Frankfurt am Main is also an international airport. Despite the high cost of air cargo transportation, the volume of such transportation in Germany is growing.

Supply and export of goods by water transport

Germany has access to the Baltic and North Seas. The Rhine and Elbe rivers are actively used as transport arteries. The port of Hamburg is the second most important and largest in Europe, second only to the Dutch port of Rotterdam. Other major sea and river ports include those in Berlin, Bonn, Bremen, Cologne, Dresden, Lübeck, Stuttgart, Rostock, Trelleborg, Travemünde, and Kiel.

Germany has an excellent ferry service with foreign countries. Ferries connect it with the Baltic and Scandinavian countries, France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Russia.

German railways

In 1993, the railways of Germany were privatized. This led to an increase in tariffs, a decrease in popularity, and a reduction in the volume of rail transportation. The length of railway lines also began to decrease. However, the railway network in Germany is still in excellent condition. The length of German railways exceeds 33,000 km, almost 20,000 km of which are electrified. The gauge of German railways is 1435 mm, which means that cargo transportation to Germany from CIS countries is only possible with transloading.

Goods exported from Germany

Germany exports large quantities of cars, machinery, radio electronics, machine tools, and other engineering products. The products of German ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy are also well-known in foreign markets.