NRW: Germany's Economic Powerhouse
North Rhine-Westphalia lies in the heart of Europe and borders on the Netherlands and Belgium. It is both the most populous and the most densely populated of the 16 federal states in Germany. 18 million people live on an area of 34,086 square kilometers (529 inhabitants/sq. km) almost exactly as many as in New York State, Australia or Taiwan, and more than in the Netherlands, Belgium, Czechia, Hungary or Sweden.

The Food and Beverage Sector in Germany and North Rhine-Westfalia

The German food and beverage industry is one of the largest industrial sectors in Germany. In 2007 the sector contributed a turnover of more than 147 bn. Euro to the German gross domestic product. The nominal growth of 6.8% lies above the overall growth of the economy. An increasing share of the industry's growth can be attributed to strongly rising exports which reached a level of 36.3 bn. Euro. Exports from North Rhine-Westphalia alone increased by almost 10 % over the last 5 years.

Asia and the Americas are promising prospects for German food and beverages. These markets have not been very busy in the past in importing food and beverages from Germany but they are on a continuous upward trend. Within the European Union Germany has become the largest producer of food among the 27 Member countries over the last years.