German car exports to the United States slumped by almost 14% in the first three quarters of 2025, making it the hardest-hit branch of German industry in U.S. President Donald Trump's trade war, according to a study seen by Reuters on Monday. Under an agreement between Washington and Brussels, the U.S. set a 15% baseline tariff on cars from Europe from August 1 - significantly less than Trump's initial rate of 25% on top of a 2.5% existing levy. German engineering companies have also struggled under the tariff regime, with the study showing exports in that sector to the U.S.

Höfner, the German instrument maker whose iconic Violin Bass was famously played by Paul McCartney, has reportedly filed for bankruptcy, Guitar World reported. The news comes from No Treble, which cites court documents from the Fürth District Court in Bavaria in its report. The filing states that “preliminary insolvency proceedings will be ordered on December 10, 2025, at 5:05pm” to safeguard the debtor’s assets from “adverse changes”. Dr.

German prosecutors charged two former board members of Greensill Bank AG for their roles in the 2021 demise of the lender, Bloomberg News reported. The men are charged with bankruptcy crimes and false accounting, a spokesman for Bremen prosecutors said in an emailed statement. A member of the unit’s supervisory board was also indicted. The statement didn’t identify any of the accused. (Subscription required.) Read more.

German insurers are the most exposed in Europe to illiquid corporate bonds, a top watchdog said in one of the most detailed reports to date on the industry’s investments in private credit. At €91.8 billion ($108 billion), more than 40% of German insurers’ bond holdings were in unlisted notes at the end of last year, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority said on Monday in Frankfurt. Excluding index- or unit-linked investments, European insurers held about €1.2 trillion of corporate bonds, of which some 13% were illiquid or unlisted.

German corporate insolvencies are projected to hit their highest level in more than a decade this year, a new study revealed ​on Monday, as the nation grapples with a stubborn economic downturn, Reuters reported. Approximately 23,900 companies are ‌expected to file for bankruptcy in 2025, an 8.3% increase from 2024 and the highest figure since 2014, according ‌to a report by credit agency Creditreform. While that growth would be slower than in previous years, the rising numbers underscore deep-seated challenges facing German businesses following two years of economic contraction.

Bel Fuse said it will record an impairment charge of up to about $14 million because Innolectric, a company in which it owns a stake, is initiating insolvency proceedings, MarketWatch.com reported. Innolectic, a German charging technology company, began insolvency proceedings in November as it has recorded several years of losses and its majority owner will not be able to provide future funding, Bel Fuse said on Wednesday.

A group of Swiss and German law enforcement agencies ​said on Monday they shut down cryptomixer.io, ‌one of the largest platforms to cover up the tracks of bitcoin transfers ‌from illegal activities, Reuters reported. Germany's federal investigation agency BKA said in a statement it worked with regional prosecutors in Frankfurt as well as authorities in Zurich to shut down the cryptomixer.io site on Wednesday last ⁠week.

Nodwin Gaming International Pte. Ltd., a leading player in youth entertainment, gaming, and esports, has announced that it will discontinue further funding to its majority-owned subsidiary Freaks 4U Gaming GmbH, AdGully.com reported. The decision follows extensive legal and financial consultations, after multiple rounds of support failed to deliver the expected turnaround. According to the company, Nodwin has backed Freaks 4U for several years under its limited recourse investment strategy.