German inflation eased further to 2.2% in April, the federal statistics office said on Wednesday, confirming preliminary data, Reuters reported. German consumer prices, harmonised to compare with other European Union countries, had risen by 2.3% year-on-year in March. Read more.

Affimed N.V., a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company, today announced its decision to file an application for opening of insolvency proceedings with the local court of Mannheim in Germany, according to a company press release. As previously reported, Affimed has been engaged in discussions with potential investors and partners with respect to potential strategic transactions to raise additional capital.

President Trump has defended his decision to introduce tariffs on goods from other countries by arguing that it will lead companies to shift production to the United States, bringing back jobs, the New York Times reported. For German companies, which have been producing their goods in the United States since the late 1800s, such arguments ring hollow. Thousands of German companies already have factories in the United States, accounting for 12 percent of the country’s foreign investments. Automakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz have long had plants in the United States.

The number of insolvencies of joint partnerships and corporations in Germany has reached its highest level in 20 years, data published on Thursday by the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) showed, DPA International reported. It reported there were 1,626 insolvencies of business partnerships and corporations in April. This was 11% more than in the previous month and 21% more than a year ago. The April figures even exceeded the figures from the time of the 2008/2009 financial crisis, it said.

Siewert & Kau, a well-known IT distributor based in Bergheim, has filed for insolvency proceedings at the Cologne District Court, marking a significant development for one of Germany's largest medium-sized IT retailers, the Pinnacle Gazette reported. The company, which has been in operation for over 30 years, employs around 400 people across several European locations, including Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands. As of Monday, May 5, 2025, insolvency administrator Marion Rodine and her team have been on site to stabilize business operations.

German factory orders climbed surprisingly sharply in March, reflecting the stockpiling of goods in the U.S. to get ahead of tariffs placed by the Trump administration in the following month, the Wall Street Journal reported. Manufacturing orders jumped 3.6% on month at the end of the first quarter, after flatlining in February, German statistics agency Destatis said Wednesday. Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal expected a 1.0% uptick. Despite the increase, new orders were 2.3% lower in the first quarter than in the final three months of 2024, Destatis said.

Mark Branson, the president of Germany's bank watchdog BaFin, said on Wednesday that the nation's financial firms were in a strong position but that uncertainty would remain extremely high, Reuters reported. "The possibility that problems in the non-banking sector have an impact on banks cannot be ruled out just because we have weathered the turbulence well so far," Branson said. Read more.

The Freital glassworks produces bottles and glasses for juice, wine and more. But a new investor is being sought for the insolvent glassworks in Freital near Dresden, diesachsen.de reported. The first interested parties from various countries have already come forward, according to the law firm in charge of the restructuring. The prospects for a successful reorganization are good, emphasized lawyer Matthias Rönsch. Business operations have remained stable since filing for insolvency and the company has a healthy core.

German battery pioneer CustomCells has filed for insolvency proceedings for the group’s key operating entities located in Itzehoe and Tübingen, BatteriesNews.com reported. The competent court in Kiel has appointed attorney Dr. Malte Köster, a partner at the law firm WILLMERKÖSTER, as the preliminary insolvency administrator of the operating companies. WILLMERKÖSTER is one of the leading insolvency law firms in Germany. The holding company of the CustomCells Group is not affected by the insolvency filing at this time.

The German economy grew in the first quarter of the year thanks to consumption and investment, escaping a recession after contracting in the last quarter of last year, data showed on Wednesday, Reuters reported. Gross domestic product rose in line with forecasts, by 0.2%, compared with the previous three-month period, preliminary data from the statistics office showed. Germany had contracted in the final quarter of last year by 0.2%, reigniting recession fears. A recession is defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth.