Press release No. 125 of 9 April 2020
Exports, February 2020
109.3 billion euros
+1.3% on the previous month (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
+0.4% on the same month a year earlier
Imports, February 2020
88.5 billion euros
-1.6% on the previous month (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
-2.9% on the same month a year earlier
Foreign trade balance, February 2020:
20.8 billion euros
21.6 billion euros (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
Current account according to calculations of the Deutsche Bundesbank, February 2020
23.7 billion euros
WIESBADEN – Germany exported goods to the value of 109.3 billion euros and imported goods to the value of 88.5 billion euros in February 2020. Based on provisional data, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that exports increased by 0.4% and imports decreased by 2.9% in February 2020 year on year. After calendar and seasonal adjustment, exports were up 1.3% and imports down 1.6% compared with January 2020. First effects of the corona pandemic were observed in the trade in goods with the People's Republic of China, which was affected in particular by the novel coronavirus in February. Compared with February 2019, exports to China decreased by 8.9% to 6.8 billion euros, while imports from China fell by 12.0% to 7.4 billion euros. Back in January, exports to China dropped by 6.5% and imports from China by 0.5%.
The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of 20.8 billion euros in February 2020. In February 2019, the surplus amounted to 17.8 billion euros. In calendar and seasonally adjusted terms, the foreign trade balance recorded a surplus of 21.6 billion euros in February 2020.
The German current account of the balance of payments showed a surplus of 23.7 billion euros in February 2020, which takes into account the balances of trade in goods (+20.7 billion euros), services (-0.2 billion euros), primary income (+7.4 billion euros) and secondary income (-4.2 billion euros). In February 2019, the German current account had shown a surplus of 15.8 billion euros.
Trade with EU countries
In February 2020, Germany exported goods to the value of 58.6 billion euros to the Member States of the European Union (EU), while it imported goods to the value of 49.2 billion euros from those countries. Compared with February 2019, exports to the EU countries increased by 0.8%, while imports from those countries fell by 1.9%. Goods to the value of 40.9 billion euros (-1.3%) were exported to the Euro area countries in February 2020, while the value of the goods imported from those countries was 33.8 billion euros (-3.3%). In February 2020, goods to the value of 17.7 billion euros (+6.2%) were exported to EU countries not belonging to the Euro area, while the value of the goods imported from those countries was 15.4 billion euros (+1.3%).
Trade with non-EU countries
Exports of goods to countries outside the European Union (third countries) amounted to 50.6 billion euros in February 2020, while imports from those countries totalled 39.3 billion euros. Compared with February 2019, exports to third countries decreased by 0.1% and imports from those countries by 4.1%.
Major coronavirus effects to be expected from March onwards
Major effects of the coronavirus crisis on foreign trade results can be expected from the reference month of March 2020. The data for March are still being collected so that an assessment cannot yet be made.
| Item | February | January to February | January | February | January to February |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2019 | ||||
| 1 According to calculations of the Deutsche Bundesbank. | |||||
| Foreign trade | |||||
| 1 Exports (f.o.b.) | 109.3 | 216.0 | 106.7 | 108.9 | 217.7 |
| 2 Imports (c.i.f.) | 88.5 | 181.4 | 92.9 | 91.1 | 185.4 |
| 3 Foreign trade balance (1-2) | 20.8 | 34.6 | 13.8 | 17.8 | 32.3 |
| Transition to trade in goods 1 | |||||
| 4 Supplementary trade items | -0.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.0 | -0.2 |
| Current account balances 1 | |||||
| 5 Trade in goods (3+4) | 20.7 | 35.3 | 14.6 | 17.8 | 32.0 |
| 6 Services | -0.2 | -1.0 | -0.7 | -0.4 | -1.4 |
| 7 Primary income | 7.4 | 17.6 | 10.2 | 6.5 | 15.8 |
| 8 Secondary income | -4.2 | -11.4 | -7.2 | -8.0 | -13.1 |
| Current account (5+6+7+8) | 23.7 | 40.6 | 16.8 | 15.8 | 33.4 |
| Item | February 2020 | January to February 2020 | Percentage change from | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2019 | January to February 2019 | |||
| billion euro | % | |||
| Total exports | 109.3 | 216.0 | 0.4 | -0.8 |
| including: | ||||
| EU Member States | 58.6 | 116.7 | 0.8 | 0.3 |
| Euro-zone | 40.9 | 81.8 | -1.3 | -1.4 |
| Non-euro-zone | 17.7 | 35.0 | 6.2 | 4.6 |
| Third countries | 50.6 | 99.3 | -0.1 | -2.1 |
| including: | ||||
| People's Republic of China | 6.8 | 14.1 | -8.9 | -7.7 |
| Total imports | 88.5 | 181.4 | -2.9 | -2.2 |
| including: | ||||
| EU Member States | 49.2 | 96.2 | -1.9 | -2.5 |
| Euro-zone | 33.8 | 65.9 | -3.3 | -4.1 |
| Non-euro-zone | 15.4 | 30.4 | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| Third countries | 39.3 | 85.2 | -4.1 | -1.8 |
| including: | ||||
| People's Republic of China | 7.4 | 17.8 | -12.0 | -5.6 |
| 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 J-DEMETRA+ (X-13 ARIMA). | |||||||||
| 2019 | January | 108.8 | 1.6 | 112.1 | 0.3 | 94.3 | 5.3 | 93.3 | 0.9 |
| February | 108.9 | 4.0 | 110.8 | -1.2 | 91.1 | 5.8 | 92.9 | -0.4 | |
| March | 118.2 | 1.8 | 112.4 | 1.4 | 95.9 | 5.3 | 93.0 | 0.0 | |
| April | 110.0 | -0.3 | 109.5 | -2.5 | 92.2 | 2.5 | 92.2 | -0.8 | |
| May | 114.2 | 4.7 | 110.5 | 0.9 | 93.6 | 5.1 | 91.9 | -0.3 | |
| June | 106.1 | -8.0 | 110.6 | 0.1 | 89.5 | -4.1 | 92.4 | 0.5 | |
| July | 115.0 | 3.6 | 110.9 | 0.3 | 93.7 | -1.0 | 91.2 | -1.3 | |
| August | 101.6 | -3.6 | 110.0 | -0.8 | 85.2 | -2.9 | 91.3 | 0.1 | |
| September | 114.1 | 4.6 | 111.6 | 1.5 | 93.0 | 2.2 | 92.4 | 1.2 | |
| October | 119.7 | 2.1 | 112.8 | 1.0 | 98.5 | -0.1 | 92.6 | 0.3 | |
| November | 113.1 | -2.7 | 110.9 | -1.7 | 94.8 | -1.4 | 92.4 | -0.3 | |
| December | 98.1 | 2.4 | 111.1 | 0.2 | 82.9 | 1.4 | 91.9 | -0.5 | |
| 2020 | January | 106.7 | -1.9 | 111.2 | 0.1 | 92.9 | -1.5 | 92.5 | 0.6 |
| February | 109.3 | 0.4 | 112.6 | 1.3 | 88.5 | -2.9 | 91.0 | -1.6 | |
First detailed provisional results (only in german) by country of origin/country of destination and by chapter of the Commodity Classification for Foreign Trade Statistics as well as a comparative table (only in german) based on the country of origin/country of consignment concepts are available for downloading.
