BERLIN: German companies are experiencing barriers to trade not seen since the 2008 financial crisis, a survey by the DIHK Chambers of Industry and Commerce showed on Friday.
Some 40 percent of the 2,100 firms surveyed said they experienced higher barriers to doing business abroad over the last 12-month period, up from 31 percent in the 2017 survey.
The survey was conducted in February, before U.S. President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and proposed duties on Chinese goods. China responded with its own list of duties on U.S. imports.
Despite the spike in barriers, a quarter of companies said they expected business to improve as the world economy remains in an upswing thanks to a recovery in the euro zone, North America and many Asian countries.
The steepest barriers were encountered in Russia, the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and China, the survey found.