WIESBADEN – As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on the basis of provisional data, Germany exported commodities to the value of EUR 994.9 billion and imported commodities to the value of 818.6 billion in 2008. Hence the export surplus in 2008 was EUR 176.2 billion and did not reach the record level of 2007. The export surplus in 2007 amounted to EUR 195.3 billion. That was the highest export surplus reached since the production of foreign trade statistics for the Federal Republic of Germany started in 1950. The decrease in the export surplus in 2008 on 2007 terminated a trend that lasted for several years: Since 2004, German foreign trade achieved record balances in nearly each year. In 2006, the export surplus was EUR 159.0 billion, in 2005 EUR 158.2 billion and in 2004 EUR 156.1 billion. In 2000, the German export surplus was at a markedly lower level: EUR 59.1 billion. The sharp increase in the export surplus started in 2001 (EUR 95.5 billion). In 2002, an export surplus of EUR 132.8 billion was achieved. Only in 2003, a slight decrease in the export surplus to EUR 129.9 billion was recorded. An overview of the overall development of German foreign trade since 1950 is given on the website of the Federal Statistical Office.
