Press release No.421 / 2009-11-09

German exports in September 2009: –18.8% on September 2008

WIESBADEN – According to provisional data of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), Germany exported commodities to the value of Euro 70.0 billion and imported commodities to the value of Euro 59.4 billion in September 2009. Hence, German exports decreased by 18.8% and imports by 16.3% in September 2009 against September 2008. Upon calendar and seasonal adjustment, exports climbed 3.8% and imports 5.8% on August 2009.

The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of Euro 10.6 billion in September 2009. In September 2008, the surplus had amounted to Euro 15.3 billion. Upon calendar and seasonal adjustment, the foreign trade balance recorded a surplus of Euro 9.9 billion in September 2009.

According to provisional results of the Deutsche Bundesbank, the current account of the balance of payments showed a surplus of Euro 9.4 billion in September 2009, which included the balance of services (– Euro 2.1 billion), factor income net (+ Euro 4.5 billion), current transfers (– Euro 2.9 billion), and supplementary trade items (– Euro 0.7 billion). In September 2008, the German current account showed a surplus of Euro 15.5 billion.

In September 2009, Germany dispatched commodities to the value of Euro 45.7 billion to the Member States of the European Union (EU), while it received commodities to the value of Euro 37.9 billion from those countries. Compared with September 2008, dispatches to and arrivals from the EU countries decreased by 16.3% and 16.5%, respectively. Commodities to the value of Euro 30.9 billion (–15.5%) were dispatched to the Euro area countries in September 2009, while the value of the commodities received from those countries was Euro 26.6 billion (–18.1%). In September 2009, commodities to the value of Euro 14.9 billion (–18.0%) were dispatched to EU countries not belonging to the euro area, while the value of the commodities which arrived from those countries was Euro 11.3 billion (–12.6%).

Exports of commodities to countries outside the European Union (third countries) amounted to Euro 24.3 billion in September 2009, while imports from those countries amounted to Euro 21.5 billion. Compared with September 2008, exports to third countries decreased by 23.1% and imports from those countries by 15.8%.
The monthly results for January 2008 to August 2009 were revised for both imports and exports.

The monthly results for January 2008 to August 2009 were revised downwards by an average 1.2% for imports and 0.9% for exports. The monthly results for 2008 are now final.

Flows of commodities and services in Euro billion
Item	September		August	September	January to September
Item	2009			2008
Discrepancies in the totals are due to rounding.
1 Exports (f.o.b.)	70.0	586.9	59.3	86.3	752.7
2 Imports (c.i.f.)	59.4	494.7	51.2	71.0	608.4
Balance of
3 Foreign trade (1-2)	10.6	92.2	8.1	15.3	144.3
4 Services	–2.1	–17.2	–4.3	–1.5	–12.3
5 Factor income (net)	4.5	28.9	4.5	5.2	29.9
6 Current transfers	–2.9	–25.2	–3.1	–2.8	–26.3
7 Supplementary trade items	–0.7	–8.7	–0.8	–0.7	–8.7
8 Current account (3+4+5+6+7)	9.4	70.0	4.4	15.5	126.9

Groups of countries
Item	September 2009	January to September 2009	Percentage change from
	September 2009	January to September 2009	September 2008	January to September 2008
	Euro billion		%
Total exports	70.0	586.9	–18.8	–22.0
Including:
EU Member States	45.7	371.5	–16.3	–22.5
Euro area	30.9	254.5	–15.5	–20.9
Non-euro area	14.9	117.0	–18.0	–25.9
Third countries	24.3	215.4	–23.1	–21.1
Total imports	59.4	494.7	–16.3	–18.7
Including:
EU Member States	37.9	319.0	–16.5	–18.1
Euro area	26.6	227.5	–18.1	–17.6
Non-euro area	11.3	91.5	–12.6	–19.3
Third countries	21.5	175.7	–15.8	–19.7

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 Euro billion	change on the same month of the previous year in %	value in Euro billion	change on previous month in %	value in Euro billion	change on the same month of the pre-vious year in %	value in Euro billion	change on previous month in %
1) Using Census X-12-ARIMA.
2008	January	83.3	8.1	84.0	2.7	66.3	8.8	67.8	3.2
	February	83.5	8.0	83.5	–0.6	66.4	4.8	67.7	–0.1
	March	82.8	–0.9	83.3	–0.3	66.0	0.9	67.3	–0.5
	April	88.8	13.1	83.8	0.6	69.7	9.6	67.0	–0.5
	May	79.7	1.5	82.2	–2.0	65.4	6.0	67.2	0.3
	June	87.4	7.2	85.1	3.6	67.6	4.0	67.0	–0.3
	July	86.1	6.1	83.4	–2.0	71.9	13.6	71.1	6.2
	August	74.9	–3.3	83.4	0.0	64.1	1.3	69.3	–2.6
	September	86.3	5.9	84.1	0.8	71.0	12.2	69.8	0.8
	October	88.7	0.3	83.3	–0.9	72.0	3.5	67.5	–3.3
	November	76.1	–12.9	74.4	–10.8	66.1	–2.7	63.4	–6.1
	December	66.7	–8.6	71.5	–3.9	59.4	–5.0	60.4	–4.7
2009	January	63.9	–23.3	66.4	–7.1	56.8	–14.3	59.2	–2.0
	February	63.9	–23.5	65.2	–1.9	55.0	–17.2	56.8	–4.1
	March	69.4	–16.1	65.4	0.4	57.9	–12.3	56.4	–0.7
	April	63.1	–28.9	62.3	–4.8	53.5	–23.3	52.9	–6.2
	May	60.1	–24.6	62.5	0.4	50.4	–22.8	52.2	–1.3
	June	67.3	–23.0	66.5	6.4	54.9	–18.8	54.9	5.2
	July	69.9	–18.8	67.7	1.7	55.6	–22.7	55.0	0.1
	August	59.3	–20.9	65.8	–2.8	51.2	–20.1	55.2	0.5
	September	70.0	–18.8	68.3	3.8	59.4	–16.3	58.4	5.8

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