Press release No.164 / 2010-05-10

German exports in March 2010: +23.3% on March 2009

WIESBADEN – According to provisional data of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), Germany exported commodities to the value of EUR 85.6 billion and imported commodities to the value of EUR 68.4 billion in March 2010. Hence, German exports increased by 23.3% and imports by 18.3% in March 2010 on March 2009. Upon calendar and seasonal adjustment, exports rose by 10.7% and imports by 11.0% compared with February 2010.

The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of EUR 17.2 billion in March 2010. In March 2009, the surplus amounted to EUR 11.6 billion. Upon calendar and seasonal adjustment, the foreign trade balance recorded a surplus of EUR 13.3 billion in March 2010.

According to provisional results of the Deutsche Bundesbank, the current account of the balance of payments showed a surplus of EUR 18.0 billion in March 2010, which included the balance of services (+ EUR 0.8 billion), factor income net (+ EUR 4.0 billion), current transfers (– EUR 2.7 billion), and supplementary trade items (– EUR 1.2 billion). In March 2009, the German current account showed a surplus of EUR 12.3 billion.

In March 2010, Germany dispatched commodities to the value of EUR 51.4 billion to the Member States of the European Union (EU), while it received commodities to the value of EUR 42.9 billion from those countries. Compared with March 2009, dispatches to the EU countries increased by 16.8% and arrivals from those countries by 14.7%. Commodities to the value of EUR 35.2 billion (+15.1%) were dispatched to the euro area countries in March 2010, while the value of the commodities received from those countries was EUR 30.2 billion (+13.6%). In March 2010, commodities to the value of EUR 16.2 billion (+20.5%) were dispatched to EU countries not belonging to the euro area, while the value of the commodities which arrived from those countries was EUR 12.7 billion (+17.6%).

Exports of commodities to countries outside the European Union (third countries) amounted to EUR 34.2 billion in March 2010, while imports from those countries totalled EUR 25.5 billion. Compared with March 2009, exports to third countries increased by 34.7% and imports from those countries by 24.7%.

Flows of commodities and services in Euro billion
Item	March		January	March	January to March
Item	2010			2009
Discrepancies in the totals may occur due to rounding.
1 Exports (f.o.b.)	85.6	219.5	70.0	69.4	197.2
2 Imports (c.i.f.)	68.4	181.6	57.4	57.9	169.7
Balance of
3 Foreign trade (1-2)	17.2	37.8	12.7	11.6	27.5
4 Services	0.8	–1.5	–0.4	0.6	–1.3
5 Factor income (net)	4.0	11.2	3.7	4.6	11.9
6 Current transfers	–2.7	–13.4	–6.3	–3.6	–12.9
7 Supplementary trade items	–1.2	–2.4	–0.3	–0.9	–2.7
8 Current account (3+4+5+6+7)	18.0	31.7	9.3	12.3	22.6

Groups of countries
Item	March 2010	January to March 2010	Percentage change from
	March 2010	January to March 2010	March 2009	January to March 2009
	Euro billion		%
Total exports	85.6	219.5	23.3	11.3
Including:
EU Member States	51.4	135.2	16.8	7.7
Euro area	35.2	92.6	15.1	6.2
Non-euro area	16.2	42.6	20.5	11.2
Third countries	34.2	84.2	34.7	17.5
Total imports	68.4	181.6	18.3	7.0
Including:
EU Member States	42.9	116.3	14.7	7.3
Euro area	30.2	82.4	13.6	5.4
Non-euro area	12.7	34.0	17.6	12.0
Third countries	25.5	65.3	24.7	6.7

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 previous year in %	value in Euro billion	change on previous month in %
¹⁾ Using Census X-12-ARIMA.
2009	January	63.9	–23.3	66.4	–7.1	56.8	–14.3	59.2	–1.9
	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	–18.7	54.9	5.2
	July	69.9	–18.8	67.7	1.7	55.6	–22.7	55.0	0.1
	August	59.3	–20.8	65.8	–2.8	51.2	–20.1	55.2	0.5
	September	69.9	–19.0	68.2	3.6	59.5	–16.3	58.4	5.8
	October	74.1	–16.4	69.4	1.9	60.7	–15.8	56.7	–2.9
	November	73.4	–3.6	70.2	1.1	56.2	–15.1	53.2	–6.2
	December	69.2	3.8	72.5	3.3	55.8	–6.0	55.9	5.0
2010	January	63.8	–0.1	67.8	–6.5	55.8	–1.7	59.1	5.6
	February	70.0	9.6	71.3	5.1	57.4	4.3	59.2	0.3
	March	85.6	23.3	79.0	10.7	68.4	18.3	65.7	11.0

>>> Brief methodological description

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