Digital Sovereignty: A Farce as Dependency on the USA and China Increases

Despite the debate surrounding digital sovereignty, the German economy remains heavily reliant on IT from the USA and China. This is according to a survey by the digital association Bitkom, which indicates that 9 out of 10 surveyed companies describe themselves as dependent on foreign IT.

Companies also see Germany as a whole trapped in a state of non-sovereignty: 93 percent assessed the country as highly dependent (40 percent) or rather dependent (53 percent) on digital technologies and services from abroad. And almost two-thirds (63 percent) expect Germany's dependency to increase in the coming years. 24 percent anticipate that the current status quo will continue. Only 10 percent believe that Germany will achieve greater digital autonomy. According to Bitkom, 605 companies with 20 or more employees in Germany were surveyed.

More dependent on the USA and China

The main sources for digital imports are the USA and China. According to Bitkom, the number of companies describing themselves as “highly dependent” on IT products and services from these countries has even increased. For IT from the USA, 51 percent of the surveyed companies stated this—compared to 41 percent in January 2025. And similarly, 51 percent described themselves as “highly dependent” on China—seven percentage points more than at the beginning of the year. According to their statements, German companies could currently survive for an average of only 12 months if they could no longer obtain technologies or services from the USA—regarding China, it would even be only 11 months. With four percent, only a minority would be permanently viable if these imports were to cease.

At the top of the list of digital imports for companies are end devices such as smartphones or notebooks, at 93 percent. Digital components and hardware components such as chips, semiconductors, or sensors are sourced from abroad by 74 percent, software applications by 72 percent, and cybersecurity applications such as firewalls by 67 percent. 60 percent of companies import digital devices and machines, for example, for production.

Growing mistrust

According to Bitkom, the trust of German companies in individual countries varies greatly. France (76 percent), Japan (72 percent), and the other EU countries (68 percent) are at the top of the trust ranking. Behind them follow Great Britain (58 percent), India (45 percent), and South Korea (40 percent). The USA and China occupy the lower places: just over a third (38 percent) still have full trust in the USA—in January it was 51 percent. 60 percent now trust the USA only little or not at all, and with China it is even 70 percent.

Companies view the high dependency on the USA with increasing concern. Around half (49 percent) fear a loss of access to software and platform services, and 41 percent fear an enforced outflow of sensitive company data to US authorities. However, only 14 percent see restrictions on cloud services as a risk.

As further risks caused by the USA, 99 percent of companies see additional financial burdens due to punitive tariffs or sanctions. 56 percent fear export restrictions. 79 percent spoke of negative impacts from Donald Trump's presidency, 0 percent of positive ones. “US companies need Europe as a customer. Nevertheless, we need our European offerings so as not to be blackmailed,” said Bitkom CEO Ralf Wintergerst.

In addition to companies, Bitkom also surveyed the sentiment of German citizens, questioning around 1,100 people according to their statements. Here, a majority of 59 percent still said that the USA is a reliable partner for Germany—compared to 42 percent for China. Nevertheless, the dependency on digital technologies is present for an overwhelming majority: 44 percent considered Germany to be “very dependent” and 50 percent to be “rather dependent” on imports from abroad. 98 percent considered it important for Germany to become more independent in key digital technologies.

(axk)