IfM-Position Paper
The impact of the provisional US-EU trade agreement on Mittelstand enterprises
On 27 July 2025, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump settled on a preliminary trade agreement. Of particular relevance to Mittelstand enterprises is that US import tariffs on most goods will only rise to 15% instead of the 30% previously anounced.
In other areas, such as the pharmaceutical industry, the level of customs duties remains unclear, while tariffs of 50% will continue to be levied on steel and aluminium imports into the US.
Figure of the Month
About
37,200
business successions will be due each year by 2030, according to estimates of IfM Bonn.
Policy Brief "Entrepreneurship in Focus"
Vocational Qualifications in the Context of Innovation
Vocational education and training (VET) is more than securing the supply of skilled labour – it also strengthens firms’ innovative capacity.