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Comment by Ericson2314 | Hacker News Reader

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Ericson2314·

Exports from Germany imported to poor member state you mean

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Hungary: Export surplus to Germany https://oec.world/en/profile/country/hun

Bulgaria: Export surplus to Germany https://oec.world/en/profile/country/bgr

Romania: Balanced trade https://oec.world/en/profile/country/rou

Would you mind clarifying what you're referring to?

This is because of the exported feedstocks. If you go to Bulgaria (or any other Balkan country) you will see the land drown in german goods.

Is this a bad thing? We get to use the money from the export surplus to modernize other industries. It is not surprising that a poorer country will be in the agriculture business as it develops. For a positive change, see how the software industry in Sofia has been growing. It will take time to revive mid and heavy industries.

It's a bad thing if you dont take advantage of it. The problem is the Eastern European countries never did. They never stood a chance in the first place.

You need to own the value chain if you want to get richer.

I'd bet India also had an export surplus to the UK when it was a colony.

So, thank you for shedding light on the whole of the German plot. I hadn't realized that the Eastern Europe countries were admitted to the EU so the German industry could source components and raw materials without import fees.

So, OP complained about an import surplus. You complain about an export surplus.

The only two alternatives are no trade, or a perfectly balanced trade. Neither one are realistic goals.

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