Foreign trade
German exports started weakly into the year
The new year begins with a minus for the German export industry. Increasing trade conflicts make the situation more difficult. Only a few industries are confident for the next few months.
Germany’s exporters are still waiting for the upswing: for January there is a minus in the export balance compared to December and compared to the same month in the previous year.
If “made in Germany” with a total value of 129.2 billion euros were delivered abroad in the first month of the new year. According to the Federal Statistical Office, this was 2.5 percent less than in December and 0.1 percent less than a year earlier.
Germany’s exporter had completed the year as a whole in 2024 with a minus in December. Overall, Germany exported the latest information from the Wiesbaden statisticians last year with a total value of 1,556 billion euros and thus 1.2 percent less than a year earlier.
Growing trade conflicts
China’s aggressive industrial policy is just as much relevant to the export industry, as is increasing trade conflicts with the United States. Only a few industries expect rising sales in the next few months, as the latest survey by the IFO Institute showed exporter expectations. “The export industry lacks dynamics and spirit of optimism,” summarized Klaus Wohlrabe, head of the Ifo surveys. “The domestic companies are still waiting for an increase in demand from abroad.”
In the meantime, imports to Germany increased to 113.1 billion euros in January, as can be seen from the preliminary figures of the Federal Statistical Office. This is an increase compared to the previous month (plus 1.2 percent) and at the same month (plus 8.7 percent).
dpa
Source: Stern
