The problematic economic situation continued to impact the glass industry in 2025. Total production tonnage fell by 0.9 percent and revenue also declined by 4.8 percent to a total of EUR 10.71 billion (2024:11.26 billion).
Both domestic and foreign revenue development was negative. Domestic revenue declined by 4.1 percent to EUR 6.26 billion (2024: EUR 6.53 billion), while foreign revenue shrank by 5.8 percent to EUR 4.46 billion (2024: EUR 4.73 billion). The number of employees in the glass industry continued to decline in 2025 to around 51,000 (minus 4.9 percent).
In the following you will find an overview of:
- Foreign trade in glassware
- Exports
- Imports
- Sector comparison: 2024 vs. 2025
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Please click on the table to download the pdf file.
Please click on the table to download the pdf file.
Please click on the table to download the pdf file.
Please click on the table to download the pdf file.
Foreign trade in glassware includes both the international sales of the glass industry as well as the foreign trade of glass distributors without manufacturing operations. German export figures therefore represent the foreign revenue of both groups.
In 2025, 63.0 percent of German glass exports went to European Union countries and, vice-versa, more than half (58.8 percent) of EU glassware exports came to Germany. Some of the sectors in the glass industry make a substantially higher contribution to exports and imports than others.
Please click on the table to download the pdf file.
Please click on the table to download the pdf file.
The export value of glassware declined in 2025 versus the previous year (by 0.2 percent) to EUR 8.76 billion (2024: EUR 8.77 billion). The glass trading companies’ contribution to total exports was 49.1 percent (2024: 46.0 percent). The glass retail industry’s export value was EUR 4.30 billion (2024: EUR 4.04 billion). The total export quota[1] increased moderately to 58.3 percent (2024: 57.3 percent).
The German glass manufacturing and glass retail industries’ net exports (the difference between imports and exports) was EUR 1.10 billion in 2025, significantly lower than in 2024 (EUR 1.56 billion), representing a decline of 30.4 percent. Key export markets in addition to the EU were Asia (12.6 percent) and the USA (10.2 percent). The most important export countries in terms of their share of total exports are France (11.2 percent), followed by the USA (8.1 percent), Netherlands (7.5 percent), Poland (5.9 percent), Italy (5.8 percent), Austria (5.6 percent), Belgium and Switzerland (both 5.3 percent).
[1] The export quota has been redefined since the pre-2010 BV Glas annual reports.
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Please click on the table to download the pdf file.
The import value increased to EUR 7.66 billion in 2025, which is 6.5 percent higher than in 2024 (EUR 7.20 billion). The total import quota was 55.0 percent (2024: 52.4 percent). For the 17th time in succession the biggest importer was China, with a 17.1 percent share of imports. Poland was in second place again in 2025 (10.9 percent), followed by the USA (8.7 percent), the Czech Republic (8.4 percent), France (6.4 percent) and Belgium (5.9 percent). In addition to imports from the EU, a significant volume of imports came from Asia (23.8 percent) and America (9.3 percent) in 2025.
Please click on the table to download the pdf file.
Please click on the table to download the pdf file.