Renate Hornung-Draus
Head of Department, European Union and International Social Policy
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Human rights
Global supply chains
The German economy has been very active for years in recognizing its CSR and sustainability activities in global supply chains
©AdobeStock kamonrat
©AdobeStock kamonrat
German companies enjoy a very good reputation as a result of their foreign trade activities
Companies from Germany make significant contributions to sustainable development at foreign locations through their local presence (study Sustainability through presence - Contributions of German companies to sustainable development at international locations). Companies frequently transfer standards and procedures in their foreign activities. 81% of companies are on a par with or above the standards of their local competitors. German companies' involvement abroad is long-term. Almost all companies plan to have a permanent presence abroad with their own branch. German employers are therefore highly sought after by employees worldwide and are considered particularly attractive.
Recognizing the complexity of global supply chains
Many large German companies have direct suppliers (tier 1) in the high five-digit range. Some corporations have over 100,000 direct suppliers. The upstream supplier tiers can include millions of companies. In 2018, Germany imported goods from abroad worth 1,089.8 billion euros, around 3 billion euros per day.
