Press release No. 161 of 8 May 2018
Exports, March 2018
• 116.1 billion euros
• +1.7% on the previous month (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
• –1.8% on the same month a year earlier
Imports, March 2018
• 90.9 billion euros
• –0.9% on the previous month (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
• –2.3% on the same month a year earlier
Foreign trade balance, March 2018
• 25.2 billion euros
• 22.0 billion euros (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
Current account of the Deutsche Bundesbank, March 2018
• 29.1 billion euros
WIESBADEN – Germany exported goods to the value of 116.1 billion euros and imported goods to the value of 90.9 billion euros in March 2018. Based on provisional data, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that German exports declined by 1.8% and imports by 2.3% in March 2018 year on year. After calendar and seasonal adjustment, exports were up 1.7% compared with February 2018, while imports were down 0.9%.
The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of 25.2 billion euros in March 2018. In March 2017, the surplus amounted to +25.1 billion euros. In calendar and seasonally adjusted terms, the foreign trade balance recorded a surplus of 22.0 billion euros in March 2018.
According to provisional results of the Deutsche Bundesbank, the current account of the balance of payments showed a surplus of 29.1 billion euros in March 2018, which takes into account the balances of trade in goods including supplementary trade items (+26.8 billion euros), services (–0.9 billion euros), primary income (+6.9 billion euros) and secondary income (–3.8 billion euros). In March 2017, the German current account showed a surplus of 32.7 billion euros.
In March 2018, Germany exported goods to the value of 68.7 billion euros to the Member States of the European Union (EU), while it imported goods to the value of 53.3 billion euros from those countries. Compared with March 2017, exports to the EU countries increased by 1.3% and imports from those countries by 0.4%. Goods to the value of 44.2 billion euros (+4.4%) were dispatched to the Euro area countries in March 2018, while the value of the goods received from those countries was 35.0 billion euros (+1.7%). In March 2018, goods to the value of 24.5 billion euros (–3.9%) were dispatched to EU countries not belonging to the Euro area, while the value of the goods which arrived from those countries was 18.3 billion euros (–2.0%).
Exports of goods to countries outside the European Union (third countries) amounted to 47.4 billion euros in March 2018, while imports from those countries totalled 37.5 billion euros. Compared with March 2017, exports to third countries decreased by 5.9% and imports from those countries also fell by 5.9%.
| Item | March | January to March | February | March | January to March |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2017 | ||||
| 1 According to calculations of the Deutsche Bundesbank | |||||
| Foreign trade | |||||
| 1 Exports (f.o.b.) | 116.1 | 327.9 | 104.8 | 118.2 | 319.0 |
| 2 Imports (c.i.f.) | 90.9 | 267.0 | 86.3 | 93.0 | 259.5 |
| 3 Foreign trade balance (1-2) | 25.2 | 61.0 | 18.5 | 25.1 | 59.6 |
| Transition to trade in goods 1 | |||||
| 4 Supplementary trade items | 1.7 | 5.1 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 6.4 |
| Current account balances 1 | |||||
| 5 Trade in goods (3+4) | 26.8 | 66.1 | 20.9 | 28.0 | 66.0 |
| 6 Services | – 0.9 | – 0.7 | 0.7 | – 1.0 | – 2.5 |
| 7 Primary income | 6.9 | 19.9 | 5.4 | 8.2 | 21.3 |
| 8 Secondary income | – 3.8 | – 14.2 | – 5.4 | – 2.5 | – 16.8 |
| Current account (5+6+7+8) | 29.1 | 71.1 | 21.7 | 32.7 | 68.0 |
| Item | Maarch 2018 | January to March 2018 | change on | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2017 | January to March 2017 | |||
| billion euro | % | |||
| Total exports | 116.1 | 327.9 | –1.8 | 2.8 |
| including: | ||||
| EU Member States | 68.7 | 196.9 | 1.3 | 5.0 |
| Euro-zone | 44.2 | 125.4 | 4.4 | 6.8 |
| Non-euro-zone | 24.5 | 71.5 | –3.9 | 1.9 |
| Third countries | 47.4 | 131.1 | –5.9 | –0.3 |
| Total imports | 90.9 | 267.0 | –2.3 | 2.9 |
| including: | ||||
| EU Member States | 53.3 | 153.0 | 0.4 | 3.9 |
| Euro-zone | 35.0 | 99.8 | 1.7 | 4.5 |
| Non-euro-zone | 18.3 | 53.2 | –2.0 | 2.7 |
| Third countries | 37.5 | 113.9 | –5.9 | 1.6 |
| Year | Month | Exports | Imports | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| original value | calendar and seasonally adjusted value 1 | original value | calendar and seasonally adjusted value 1 | ||||||
| value in billion euros | change on the same month of the previous year in % | value in billion euros | change on previous month in % | value in billion euros | change on the same month of the previous year in % | value in billion euros | change on previous month in % | ||
| 1 Using Census X-12-ARIMA | |||||||||
| 2017 | January | 98.6 | 11.1 | 103.4 | 2.0 | 84.0 | 11.7 | 84.3 | 2.6 |
| February | 102.3 | 3.7 | 105.0 | 1.5 | 82.4 | 3.7 | 84.2 | –0.2 | |
| March | 118.2 | 11.0 | 105.1 | 0.1 | 93.0 | 14.8 | 85.9 | 2.1 | |
| April | 100.9 | –3.0 | 105.9 | 0.7 | 83.1 | 5.5 | 86.4 | 0.6 | |
| May | 110.5 | 14.2 | 107.3 | 1.3 | 88.7 | 16.3 | 87.1 | 0.7 | |
| June | 107.2 | 1.0 | 105.3 | –1.8 | 85.1 | 3.7 | 84.5 | –3.0 | |
| July | 103.1 | 7.6 | 105.3 | 0.0 | 84.4 | 9.6 | 86.1 | 1.9 | |
| August | 103.0 | 7.3 | 107.9 | 2.4 | 83.0 | 8.2 | 86.7 | 0.7 | |
| September | 110.3 | 4.4 | 107.4 | –0.4 | 86.4 | 5.5 | 85.8 | –1.0 | |
| October | 108.0 | 6.9 | 107.1 | –0.3 | 89.2 | 8.5 | 87.3 | 1.8 | |
| November | 116.3 | 8.1 | 111.4 | 4.1 | 92.8 | 8.3 | 88.8 | 1.6 | |
| December | 100.5 | 3.5 | 111.4 | –0.0 | 82.5 | 4.7 | 89.6 | 0.9 | |
| 2018 | January | 107.1 | 8.6 | 111.0 | –0.4 | 89.8 | 6.9 | 89.3 | –0.3 |
| February | 104.8 | 2.4 | 107.5 | –3.1 | 86.3 | 4.7 | 88.1 | –1.4 | |
| MArch | 116.1 | –1.8 | 109.3 | 1.7 | 90.9 | –2.3 | 87.3 | –0.9 | |
In addition, first detailed preliminary results (only in German) will be released by countries of origin/consignment and by chapters of the Commodity Classification for Foreign Trade Statistics at the time the press released is published. A comparative table for the country of origin and the country of consignment concept is available for download (only in German) on the internet.
