Foreign Trade in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
In recent years foreign trade has become more and more important for Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. In 2010 exports reached a new volume record with an export value of 6.01 billion euros. Compared with 2009 this means an increase of 22.6%. From 2000 to 2010 total export increased by about 3.6 billion euros. However, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s share of Germany’s total export volume is below one percent.
According to the figures of the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s Office for Statistics, in 2010 its most important trading partners measured by the total volume of import and export are Poland (765 million euros), Sweden (707), the Netherlands (696), Denmark (676) and Russia (599) followed by France (562), the United Kingdom (456), Italy (424), China (424) and the USA (361). Considering specifically the regions, export to the Baltic Sea area accounts for about one fourth (26%) of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s total export. The most important export articles were wheat, pipes of iron and steel, power engines as well as goods of iron and other metals.
The nearest market for companies from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the Baltic Sea area. The special economic dynamics of the abutting nations, low cost transport across the Baltic Sea, the function of the Russian Baltic areas as "the gateway to Russia", the "Mare Balticum" as a joint cultural heritage and market with up to 85 million people all play a significant role. Five of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s six partner regions in Europe are situated in the Baltic Sea area; South Sweden, Southwest Finland, the area around Leningrad, the "duchies" of Pomerania and west Pomerania in Poland.
Networks such as ScanBalt support trade in the Baltic Sea Region. Bio regions throughout the entire Baltic Sea area are joining forces – more than 60 colleges and institutes and more than 2,100 life science companies are involved. Through research, development and educational networking the Baltic Sea area is developing into one of the leading bio technology regions in Europe.
Outside the Baltic Sea Region Mecklenburg-Vorpommern focuses on advertising its location and tourism in Western Europe. For Asia, in particular China and Vietnam with maritime industry, renewable energies and life sciences are emphasised. For the USA special attention is devoted to entrepreneurial cooperation in the area of life science and renewable energies; the Arab countries are regarded as important markets for environment technology and health care. (Source: Außenwirtschaftsbericht 2010 des Ministeriums für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Tourismus Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – 2010 Foreign Trade Report of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s Ministry of Economy, Labour and Tourism).
The volume of imports to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has increased in 2010: The value of imported goods was scarcely 4 billion euros compared with approximately 3.4 billion euros in 2009. Above all petroleum products, paper and cardboard, crude oil and natural gas, iron and other metal goods as well as power engines are imported to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
Contacts for companies in the field of foreign trade are the Ministerium für Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Tourismus (Ministry of Economy, Labour and Tourism) and the Industrie- und Handelskammern (Chambers of Industry and Commerce) and the State Handwerkskammern(Chamber of Crafts).