The US–EU trade relationship is the largest bilateral trade relationship in the world. In 2023, goods and services trade between the two economies exceeded $1.3 trillion. Germany alone accounts for roughly $250 billion of that, making it the largest EU trading partner of the United States by volume.
Yet most European B2B suppliers approach US corporate procurement the same way they'd approach a German Mittelstand buyer, and that misses how US supply chain teams actually work.
This guide is for European businesses, especially German-speaking ones, that want to get onto US corporate vendor lists. It covers what certifications are accessible to non-US entities, which portals to register in, and which industries are actively buying from EU suppliers right now.
The trade relationship in concrete terms
The United States imported $162 billion in goods from Germany in 2023, according to US Census Bureau data. Top categories: vehicles and automotive parts ($43B), machinery ($37B), chemicals and pharmaceuticals ($26B), and medical devices ($9B).
On the services side, German companies and their US subsidiaries are significant vendors to US multinationals in engineering, IT consulting, logistics, and industrial testing.
For a European company targeting US corporate buyers, that trade volume means there are established procurement relationships to tap. US multinationals with European operations, including Ford, GM, Boeing, and large pharmaceutical companies, already buy from European suppliers and have portal infrastructure to onboard them.
What US certifications are available to European businesses
This is where most European suppliers get confused. US diversity certifications, including 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB (Women-Owned Small Business), SDVOSB, and most state MBE/WBE programs, require a US-registered legal entity. A German GmbH or UK Ltd cannot hold a federal WOSB certification.
The same limitation applies to most corporate MBE certifications from NMSDC regional councils. NMSDC certification requires a US-based business entity.
Three certifications or registrations are genuinely available to European businesses without a US entity:
WEConnect International. This is the clearest path for women-owned businesses outside the US. WEConnect certifies women-owned businesses in over 130 countries and is recognized by major US corporate supplier diversity programs including Walmart, Procter & Gamble, Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, and IBM. The European chapter is based in Brussels. Certification costs approximately $350–$600 depending on the membership tier and revenue size, and requires proof of 51% women ownership and control. WEConnect-certified suppliers are visible in the WEConnect supplier database, which corporate supplier diversity teams search actively.
SAM.gov registration. The US federal System for Award Management is open to non-US entities. Registration is free. European companies registered in SAM can bid on US federal contracts, and some US government agencies can procure from EU entities under Reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreements (RDPAs). The US has active RDPAs with Germany, France, the Netherlands, and 20 other EU member states, covering defense-related procurement. Registration requires a DUNS/UEI number, which non-US entities can obtain through the SAM.gov registration process.
Supplier portal self-registration. Ariba Network, Coupa Supplier Portal, and Jaggaer all accept non-US vendors. These aren't certifications but registration in these platforms puts a European supplier in front of any US buyer using those platforms.
WEConnect International: the specific process
If you're a women-owned business anywhere in the EU, WEConnect is worth the application even before you've landed a single US customer. Here's why: US corporate supplier diversity managers are evaluated on certified diverse spend, and a WEConnect certification is the primary way a non-US women-owned business counts toward those targets.
The European chapter (weconnectinternational.org/europe) runs the certification process for EU-based businesses. The application requires:
- Proof of legal registration in your home country
- Ownership and control documentation showing 51%+ women ownership
- A business profile including NAICS/industry codes
- Two years of financials or, for newer businesses, an accountant's letter
Processing typically takes 6–10 weeks. Once certified, your profile appears in WEConnect's global database and you become eligible for corporate matchmaking events that WEConnect runs with Boeing, Accenture, and others.
Registering in US corporate supplier portals as a non-US vendor
Three platforms dominate US corporate procurement: SAP Ariba, Coupa, and Jaggaer. Most Fortune 500 companies use one of these.
SAP Ariba Network. Registration is free at supplier.ariba.com. Non-US businesses register under their home country's tax ID (the platform accepts VAT numbers and German Steuernummer). Once registered, you can receive purchase orders, submit invoices, and respond to sourcing events from any Ariba customer. Ariba has over 4 million registered suppliers globally; registering doesn't mean a company will find you, but it's a prerequisite for doing business with any Ariba buyer.
Coupa Supplier Portal. Free registration at supplier.coupahost.com. Similar to Ariba in structure. Non-US vendors register with local tax identification. Coupa is particularly common in manufacturing, life sciences, and technology.
Jaggaer. Used heavily in defense, aerospace, and higher education procurement in the US. Registration at supplier.jaggaer.com.
For each platform, you'll need: your business legal name as registered in your home country, a tax identification number, a business address, banking details for payment, and product/service categories using UNSPSC or NAICS codes. Spend 20 minutes mapping your services to NAICS codes before you start, it will affect how you appear in search results.
Beyond the platforms, many large US companies run proprietary supplier portals. Ford's is Covisint-based. GM uses a custom portal. Boeing has a dedicated supplier registration at supplier.boeing.com. Procter & Gamble runs a supplier diversity portal that specifically accepts WEConnect-certified international suppliers.
The Tier 2 reporting dynamic
Here's a dynamic most European suppliers don't know about: if your company is already a Tier 1 supplier to a US multinational, that company may start asking you to report your own diverse subcontracting spend.
US companies with federal contracts over $750,000 are required to submit subcontracting plans documenting their spend with small and diverse businesses. Many large corporations extend that reporting discipline to their entire procurement operation, not just federal contracts. They ask European Tier 1 suppliers, including German automotive parts manufacturers, to complete annual Tier 2 diversity spend surveys.
CSRD (the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, effective for large companies in 2025 and smaller ones phasing in through 2028) creates some alignment here. CSRD requires disclosure of supply chain social and governance metrics. US ESG-linked supplier diversity requirements and EU CSRD reporting overlap on questions about supplier demographics and procurement equity. European companies that build internal tracking for CSRD purposes will have most of what US buyers ask for in Tier 2 surveys.
Which US companies are actively buying from EU suppliers and in what categories
Automotive: Ford, GM, Stellantis, and Tesla all source components from German and broader EU manufacturers. ZF, Bosch, and Continental are examples of German Tier 1 suppliers, but US OEMs also buy directly from smaller EU specialists in electronics, sensors, and machined parts.
Aerospace and defense: Boeing, Raytheon, and Lockheed Martin all buy from EU suppliers under RDPA frameworks. Categories include composites, avionics subsystems, precision machining, and propulsion components. The F-35 program, for instance, has significant European industrial participation across eight partner nations.
Pharmaceuticals and medical devices: Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, and Abbott all source active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), packaging, and testing services from EU suppliers. Germany's Bayer and BASF are major players, but smaller EU chemistry and lab services firms also sell into this market.
IT and consulting: SAP, Siemens, and Capgemini have large US operations and channel work to their EU parent networks. US financial services firms and technology companies also buy specialized software and engineering consulting from EU firms, particularly in Germany, the Netherlands, and Ireland.
Practical first steps
- Register in SAM.gov to establish your US federal procurement identity. Takes 1–2 hours; processing takes 7–10 business days.
- If you're a women-owned business, apply to WEConnect International through the European chapter (weconnectinternational.org/europe). This is the fastest way to be visible to US corporate diversity teams.
- Create a free supplier profile on Ariba Network (supplier.ariba.com). Select product and service categories carefully using NAICS codes.
- Identify three to five target US corporate buyers in your industry. Look up their procurement or supplier diversity contacts. Boeing publishes its supplier diversity contacts publicly; Walmart's supplier diversity team is reachable through the Walmart Open Call program.
- Map your CSRD reporting work to US Tier 2 survey formats. If you're a Tier 1 supplier to a US company, ask your buyer's procurement contact whether they run a Tier 2 diversity spend survey and request the template in advance.
The US market doesn't require European suppliers to become American companies. But it does require meeting buyers where they are, which means SAM.gov, Ariba, and WEConnect, not waiting for a US buyer to find you at a trade show.
