Press release No.329 / 2009-09-08

German exports in July 2009: –18.7% on July 2008

WIESBADEN – According to provisional data of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), Germany exported commodities to the value of EUR 70.5 billion and imported commodities to the value of EUR 56.6 billion in July 2009. Hence, German exports decreased by 18.7% and imports by 22.3% in July 2009 compared with July 2008. Upon calendar and seasonal adjustment, exports climbed 2.3% on June 2009, while imports remained nearly unchanged.

The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of EUR 13.9 billion in July 2009. In July 2008, the surplus amounted to EUR 14.0 billion. Upon calendar and seasonal adjustment, the foreign trade balance recorded a surplus of EUR 12.4 billion in July 2009.

According to provisional results of the Deutsche Bundesbank, the current account of the balance of payments showed a surplus of EUR 11.0 billion in July 2009, which included the balance of services (– EUR 3.3 billion), factor income net (+ EUR 4.3 billion), current transfers (– EUR 2.7 billion), and supplementary trade items (– EUR 1.2 billion). In July 2008, the German current account showed a surplus of EUR 11.3 billion.

In July 2009, Germany dispatched commodities to the value of EUR 43.4 billion to the Member States of the European Union (EU), while it received commodities to the value of EUR 37.1 billion from those countries. Compared with July 2008, dispatches to and arrivals from the EU countries decreased by 20.5% and 20.4%, respectively. Commodities to the value of EUR 29.4 billion (–19.5%) were dispatched to the euro area countries in July 2009, while the value of the commodities received from those countries was EUR 26.7 billion (–20.5%). In July 2009, commodities to the value of EUR 14.0 billion (–22.6%) were dispatched to countries not belonging to the euro area, while the value of the commodities which arrived from those countries was EUR 10.5 billion (–20.0%).

Exports of commodities to countries outside the European Union (third countries) amounted to EUR 27.1 billion in July 2009, while imports from those countries amounted to EUR 19.5 billion. Compared with July 2008, exports to third countries decreased by 15.7%, and imports from those countries by 25.7%.

Flows of commodities and services in EUR billion
Item	July		June	July	January to July
Item	2009			2008
Discrepancies in the totals are due to rounding.
1 Exports (f.o.b.)	70.5	461.8	67.9	86.8	596.6
2 Imports (c.i.f.)	56.6	390.1	55.8	72.8	477.9
Balance of
3 Foreign trade (1-2)	13.9	71.7	12.1	14.0	118.7
4 Services	–3.3	–10.8	–2.4	–3.3	–7.9
5 Factor income (net)	4.3	19.6	4.7	4.5	20.1
6 Current transfers	–2.7	–19.2	–0.1	–3.0	–20.3
7 Supplementary trade items	–1.2	–7.0	–0.8	–0.9	–6.9
8 Current account (3+4+5+6+7)	11.0	54.3	13.5	11.3	103.8

Groups of countries
Item	July 2009	January to July 2009	Percentage change from
	July 2009	January to July 2009	July 2008	January to July 2008
	EUR bn		%
Total exports	70.5	461.8	–18.7	–22.6
Including:
EU Member States	43.4	293.2	–20.5	–23.5
Euro-zone	29.4	202.1	–19.5	–21.9
Non-euro-zone	14.0	91.1	–22.6	–26.9
Third countries	27.1	168.6	–15.7	–21.0
Total imports	56.6	390.1	–22.3	–18.4
Including:
EU Member States	37.1	254.3	–20.4	–17.9
Euro-zone	26.7	182.0	–20.5	–17.3
Non-euro-zone	10.5	72.2	–20.0	–19.5
Third countries	19.5	135.8	–25.7	–19.2

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 billion	change on the same month of the pre-vious year in %	value in EUR billion	change on previous month in %	value in EUR billion	change on the same month of the pre-vious year in %	value in EUR billion	change on previous month in %
¹⁾ Using Census X-12-ARIMA.
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	–23.3	66.8	–7.4	57.6	–13.6	60.1	–1.7
	February	64.5	–23.5	66.0	–1.2	55.8	–16.9	57.1	–4.9
	March	70.0	–16.2	66.2	0.3	58.7	–12.0	57.3	0.2
	April	63.7	–28.8	62.9	–5.0	54.3	–23.0	53.9	–6.0
	May	60.7	–24.6	63.0	0.2	51.2	–22.4	52.8	–1.9
	June	67.9	–22.9	66.8	6.1	55.8	–17.9	55.9	5.9
	July	70.5	–18.7	68.4	2.3	56.6	–22.3	55.9	0.0

>>> Brief methodological description

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