Germany’s major family businesses expect advantages for their own enterprise from the transatlantic free trade agreement TTIP. Moreover, they expect the US to become their most important export market within three years. The Federation of German Industries and Deutsche Bank assigned the Institut für Mittelstandsforschung (IfM) Bonn to survey all German family businesses with at least 50 million annual turnover regularly. The spring survey focusses on internationalisation and risk management of family businesses.