Press release No.172 / 2009-05-08

German exports in March 2009: –15.8% on March 2008

According to provisional data of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), Germany exported commodities to the value of EUR 70.3 billion and imported commodities to the value of EUR 59.0 billion in March 2009. German exports of March 2009 were thus 15.8% and imports 11.6% below the respective March 2008 levels. Upon calendar and seasonal adjustment, exports increased by 0.7% and imports by 0.8% on February 2009.

The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of EUR 11.3 billion in March 2009. In March 2008, the surplus had amounted to EUR 16.8 billion. Upon calendar and seasonal adjustment, the foreign trade balance recorded a surplus of EUR 8.9 billion in March 2009.

According to provisional results of the Deutsche Bundesbank, the current account of the balance of payments showed a surplus of EUR 10.2 billion in March 2009, which included the balance of services (EUR –1.0 billion), factor income (net) (EUR +4.4 billion), current transfers (EUR –3.6 billion) and supplementary trade items (EUR –0.9 billion). In March 2008, the German current account had shown a surplus of EUR 17.6 billion.

In March 2009, Germany dispatched commodities to the value of EUR 44.9 billion to the Member States of the European Union (EU), while it received commodities to the value of EUR 38.7 billion from those countries. Compared with March 2008, dispatches to and arrivals from the EU countries decreased by 17.4% and 11.3%, respectively. Commodities to the value of EUR 31.2 billion (–14.9%) were dispatched to the euro area countries in March 2009, while the value of commodities received from those countries was EUR 27.6 billion (–10.7%). Commodities to the value of EUR 13.7 billion (–22.5%) were dispatched to EU countries not belonging to the euro area in March 2009, while the value of the commodities which arrived from those countries was EUR 11.1 billion (–12.9%).

Exports of commodities to countries outside the European Union (third countries) amounted to EUR 25.4 billion in March 2009, while imports from those countries amounted to EUR 20.4 billion. Compared with March 2008, exports to third countries decreased by 12.9%, and imports from those countries by 12.0%

Flows of commodities and services in EUR bn
Item	March		February	March	January to March
Item	2009			2008
Discrepancies in the totals are due to rounding.
1 Exports (f.o.b.)	70.3	199.3	64.5	83.5	251.8
2 Imports (c.i.f.)	59.0	172.4	55.8	66.8	200.7
Balance of
3 Foreign trade (1-2)	+11.3	+26.9	+8.6	+16.8	+51.2
4 Services	–1.0	–4.2	–0.4	–0.4	–0.9
5 Factor income (net)	+4.4	+12.8	+4.9	+5.4	+14.8
6 Current transfers	–3.6	–13.1	–5.3	–3.2	–12.2
7 Supplementary trade items	–0.9	–3.0	–1.1	–0.9	–3.3
8 Current account (3+4+5+6+7)	+10.2	+19.3	+6.8	+17.6	+49.7

Groups of countries
Item	March 2009	January to March 2009	Percentage change from
	March 2009	January to March 2009	March 2008	January to March 2008
	EUR bn		%
Total exports	70.3	199.3	–15.8	–20.9
Including:
EU Member States	44.9	127.6	–17.4	–21.5
Euro-zone	31.2	88.7	–14.9	–19.6
Non-euro-zone	13.7	38.9	–22.5	–25.7
Third countries	25.4	71.7	–12.9	–19.6
Total imports	59.0	172.4	–11.6	–14.1
Including:
EU Member States	38.7	111.3	–11.3	–14.2
Euro-zone	27.6	80.3	–10.7	–12.9
Non-euro-zone	11.1	31.1	–12.9	–17.3
Third countries	20.4	61.1	–12.0	–13.9

Foreign trade (special trade)
Exports and imports
Original values/calendar and seasonally adjusted values ¹⁾
Year	Month	Exports				Imports
		original value		calendar and seasonally adjusted value ¹⁾		original value		calendar and seasonally adjusted value ¹⁾
		value in EUR bn	change on the same month of the pre-vious year in %	value in EUR bn	change on previous month in %	value in EUR bn	change on the same month of the pre-vious year in %	value in EUR bn	change on previous month in %
2008	January	84.0	+9.0	84.5	+3.1	66.7	+9.6	68.2	+3.8
	February	84.3	+9.0	84.5	+0.1	67.2	+6.1	67.9	–0.5
	March	83.5	+0.0	84.2	–0.4	66.8	+2.1	68.2	+0.4
	April	89.5	+14.1	84.6	+0.5	70.5	+10.8	67.9	–0.4
	May	80.5	+2.4	82.7	–2.2	66.0	+7.0	67.6	–0.4
	June	88.1	+8.1	85.4	+3.3	68.0	+4.5	67.4	–0.2
	July	86.8	+7.0	84.2	–1.4	72.8	+15.0	72.0	+6.8
	August	75.5	–2.5	84.0	–0.3	64.7	+2.3	70.1	–2.7
	September	87.0	+6.8	84.7	+0.8	71.8	+13.5	70.8	+1.0
	October	89.4	+1.1	84.2	–0.6	72.8	+4.5	68.2	–3.7
	November	76.8	–12.2	75.1	–10.8	66.9	–1.6	64.2	–5.8
	December	67.2	–7.9	72.1	–4.0	60.0	–4.1	61.1	–4.8
2009	January	64.5	–23.2	66.8	–7.4	57.6	–13.7	60.0	–1.8
	February	64.5	–23.5	66.0	–1.3	55.8	–16.9	57.1	–4.8
	March	70.3	–15.8	66.4	+0.7	59.0	–11.6	57.6	+0.8
¹⁾ Using Census X-12-ARIMA.

>>> Brief methodological description

For further information please call:
Dirk Mohr,
tel: (+49-611) 75-2475,

E-mail: info-aussenhandel@destatis.de

For more details please refer to the German version.

Contact:
tel: (+49-611)75-3444
fax: (+49-611)75-3976
presse@destatis.de
www.destatis.de

Service hours:
Mon - Tue: 8am - 5pm
Fri: 8am - 3pm
CET / CEST

Postal address:
65180 Wiesbaden
Germany

Maximize content (Accesskey 3)