Although trade flows between Germany and Ukraine declined by almost 7% last year, it was a smaller drop than expected, and business has been recovering since the late fall, according to Bloomberg. German companies in Ukraine have maintained or quickly restored production wherever possible, Michael Harms, the managing director of the East Commission, said by email. Harms said that German firms are also intensively involved in restoring destroyed infrastructure and the long-term reconstruction of the country. At the same time, German exports to Russia fell by 45% in 2022, to the lowest level in two decades. However, these losses were more than offset by double-digit increases in exports to other markets.