Germany has been a WTO member since January 1st, 1995. It has also formally been a member of GATT since October 1st, 1951. Germany’s membership is under the European Union. WTO has allowed Germany free trade with other countries on a fair, predictable, and evenly negotiated level. The EU has been a big component in pushing for trade from small developing countries and countries outside the organization. Germany ranked number 3 in exports according to The Atlas of Economic Complexity, It is understandable that Germany would want all the benefits of free trade. In 2017, 46.5 percent of German merchandise exports and 51.6 percent of imported goods were intermediate products according to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Attached to this is trade among similar products which gives German consumers the benefit of a variety (BDI). Germany a large exporter of motor vehicles could trade motor vehicles with the US and vice versa leaving Germans with options between us and German Motor Ve...
Inequality and poverty are factors that countries all over the world are attempting to tackle. Before one can address these issues it is important to understand them. A country like Germany has seen is share of Inequality and poverty on the sharp rise since the 1990s which can be observed in Figure 1 below. The reasoning behind this increase in inequality is hard to directly pinpoint but some main factors that have contributed are household demographics and employment outcomes. According to the Federal Statistical Office found 15.9% of Germany's population is at risk of falling below the poverty in 2020. Starting from birth, factors like being born into a single-parent household, being a part of an ethnic minority, your parent’s job status, and your family's historical wealth position are all factors that contribute and influence a person’s future income position. Looking at the 90s throught the mid 2000s we can begin to better understand this inequality. Figure 3 above show...