Press release No. 324 of 8 July 2021
Exports, May 2021
109.4 billion euros
+0.3% on the previous month (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
+36.4% on the same month a year earlier
Imports, May 2021
97.1 billion euros
+3.4% on the previous month (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
+32.6% on the same month a year earlier
Foreign trade balance, May 2021:
12.3 billion euros
12.6 billion euros (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
Current account according to calculations of the Deutsche Bundesbank, May 2021
13.1 billion euros
WIESBADEN – In May 2021, German exports were up by 0.3% and imports by 3.4% on a calendar and seasonally adjusted basis compared with April 2021. Based on provisional data, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that, after calendar and seasonal adjustment, exports were 0.3% lower and imports 9.4% higher than in February 2020, the month before restrictions were imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic in Germany.
Germany exported goods to the value of 109.4 billion euros and imported goods to the value of 97.1 billion euros in May 2021. Compared with May 2020, exports increased by 36.4% and imports by 32.6% in May 2021. This rise is basically due to the low level of foreign trade in the comparison month (base effect).
The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of 12.3 billion euros in May 2021. In May 2020, the surplus amounted to 7.0 billion euros. In calendar and seasonally adjusted terms, the foreign trade balance recorded a surplus of 12.6 billion euros in May 2021.
The German current account of the balance of payments showed a surplus of 13.1 billion euros in May 2021, which takes into account the balances of trade in goods (+14.4 billion euros), services (+1.2 billion euros), primary income (-0.1 billion euros) and secondary income (-2.4 billion euros). In May 2020, the German current account showed a surplus of 7.1 billion euros.
Trade with EU countries
In May 2021, Germany exported goods to the value of 60.7 billion euros to the Member States of the European Union (EU), while it imported goods to the value of 52.9 billion euros from those countries. Compared with May 2020, exports to the EU countries increased by 43.3%, and imports from those countries by 38.1%. Goods to the value of 41.9 billion euros (+40.2%) were exported to the euro area countries in May 2021; the value of the goods imported from those countries was 36.4 billion euros (+36.9%). In May 2021, goods to the value of 18.7 billion euros (+50.8%) were exported to EU countries not belonging to the euro area, while the value of the goods imported from those countries was 16.5 billion euros (+40.8%).
Trade with non-EU countries
Exports of goods to countries outside the European Union (third countries) amounted to 48.8 billion euros in May 2021, while imports from those countries totalled 44.3 billion euros. Compared with May 2020, exports to third countries increased by 28.7% and imports from those countries by 26.5%.
Trade with the United Kingdom
Compared with the same month last year, exports to the United Kingdom were up by 46.3% to 5.0 billion euros in May 2021. German imports from the United Kingdom increased by 26.2% to 2.7 billion euros over the same period.
On 1 January 2021 the partnership agreement negotiated between the EU and the United Kingdom took provisional effect. Now that the United Kingdom has left the EU single market and the customs union, the withdrawal process is complete. More information on the Brexit and selected statistical indicators that are assumed to be affected by the Brexit are provided by the Brexit Monitor of the Federal Statistical Office.
Trade with other selected countries
In May 2021, exports to the People's Republic of China rose by 17.1% to 8.4 billion euros compared with May 2020. Exports to the United States increased by 40.7% to 9.1 billion euros.
In May 2021, most imports came to Germany from the People's Republic of China. The value of the goods imported from there was 10.3 billion euros (-4.4% on the same month of the previous year). Imports from the United States were up by 32.6% to 5.9 billion euros in May 2021.
Methodological note:
The differing comparative periods must be taken into account in all press releases on short-term indicators. Short-term economic monitoring focuses on comparisons with the previous month or previous quarter. These reflect short-term economic trends. A comparison with the previous year is intended to offer a long-term comparison of levels and is not subject to seasonal fluctuations. Owing to strong temporary decreases and increases during the current coronavirus crisis, the results of month-on-month/quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year comparisons may differ considerably. To enable a direct comparison with the pre-crisis level, all press releases on short-term indicators available in seasonally adjusted form will, for the time being, include a comparison with February 2020 or the 4th quarter of 2019.
| Item | May | January to May | April | May | January to May |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| 1 According to calculations of the Deutsche Bundesbank. | |||||
| Foreign trade | |||||
| 1 Exports (f.o.b.) | 109.4 | 554.1 | 111.8 | 80.2 | 480.7 |
| 2 Imports (c.i.f.) | 97.1 | 474.3 | 96.6 | 73.3 | 419.0 |
| 3 Foreign trade balance (1-2) | 12.3 | 79.7 | 15.2 | 7.0 | 61.6 |
| Transition to trade in goods 1 | |||||
| 4 Supplementary trade items | 2.1 | 5.7 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 3.6 |
| Current account balances 1 | |||||
| 5 Trade in goods (3+4) | 14.4 | 85.4 | 15.5 | 9.0 | 65.2 |
| 6 Services | 1.2 | 7.6 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 0.5 |
| 7 Primary income | -0.1 | 34.1 | 6.5 | -0.0 | 35.7 |
| 8 Secondary income | -2.4 | -26.8 | -3.8 | -3.5 | -22.2 |
| Current account (5+6+7+8) | 13.1 | 100.3 | 21.0 | 7.1 | 79.2 |
| Item | May 2021 | January to May 2021 | Percentage change from | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2020 | January to May 2020 | |||
| billion euro | % | |||
| Total exports | 109.4 | 554.1 | 36.4 | 15.3 |
| including: | ||||
| EU Member States | 60.7 | 301.9 | 43.3 | 19.4 |
| Euro-zone | 41.9 | 209.9 | 40.2 | 19.1 |
| Non-euro-zone | 18.7 | 92.0 | 50.8 | 20.2 |
| Third countries | 48.8 | 252.1 | 28.7 | 10.6 |
| including: | ||||
| United Kingdom | 5.0 | 26.6 | 46.3 | 0.9 |
| Total imports | 97.1 | 474.3 | 32.6 | 13.2 |
| including: | ||||
| EU Member States | 52.9 | 256.1 | 38.1 | 17.2 |
| Euro-zone | 36.4 | 174.2 | 36.9 | 15.3 |
| Non-euro-zone | 16.5 | 81.8 | 40.8 | 21.5 |
| Third countries | 44.3 | 218.3 | 26.5 | 8.8 |
| including: | ||||
| United Kingdom | 2.7 | 13.4 | 26.2 | -14.5 |
| 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). | |||||||||
| 2020 | January | 106.6 | -2.1 | 111.2 | 0.5 | 92.9 | -1.4 | 93.2 | 1.6 |
| February | 109.2 | 0.3 | 112.5 | 1.2 | 88.9 | -2.4 | 91.0 | -2.3 | |
| March | 108.9 | -7.9 | 99.0 | -12.0 | 91.7 | -4.3 | 85.8 | -5.7 | |
| April | 75.7 | -31.1 | 75.7 | -23.6 | 72.3 | -21.6 | 72.1 | -16.0 | |
| May | 80.2 | -29.8 | 82.2 | 8.7 | 73.3 | -21.6 | 75.1 | 4.0 | |
| June | 96.0 | -9.5 | 94.8 | 15.2 | 80.6 | -9.9 | 80.3 | 7.0 | |
| July | 102.3 | -11.0 | 98.9 | 4.4 | 83.1 | -11.3 | 81.0 | 0.9 | |
| August | 91.3 | -10.2 | 101.9 | 3.0 | 79.4 | -6.7 | 86.8 | 7.2 | |
| September | 109.9 | -3.8 | 104.3 | 2.4 | 89.7 | -3.5 | 87.5 | 0.8 | |
| October | 112.2 | -6.3 | 105.0 | 0.6 | 92.5 | -6.0 | 87.2 | -0.4 | |
| November | 112.0 | -1.1 | 106.9 | 1.9 | 95.3 | 0.6 | 91.0 | 4.4 | |
| December | 101.0 | 3.0 | 107.3 | 0.3 | 85.7 | 3.3 | 90.8 | -0.2 | |
| 2021 | January | 98.4 | -7.7 | 109.3 | 1.9 | 84.2 | -9.4 | 88.0 | -3.2 |
| February | 107.8 | -1.3 | 110.0 | 0.7 | 89.9 | 1.1 | 91.4 | 4.0 | |
| March | 126.7 | 16.3 | 111.7 | 1.5 | 106.5 | 16.2 | 97.7 | 6.9 | |
| April | 111.8 | 47.6 | 111.9 | 0.2 | 96.6 | 33.6 | 96.3 | -1.4 | |
| May | 109.4 | 36.4 | 112.2 | 0.3 | 97.1 | 32.6 | 99.6 | 3.4 | |
First detailed provisional results by country of origin/country of destination and by chapter of the Commodity Classification for Foreign Trade Statistics are available for downloading.
Crisis Monitor enables comparison between corona crisis and financial and economic crisis
Foreign trade statistics also form part of the Crisis Monitor (www.destatis.de/krisenmonitor) by means of which the Federal Statistical Office compares the development of major short-term indicators in the corona crisis and in the 2008-2009 financial and economic crisis. The Crisis monitor complements the Corona statistics webpage (www.destatis.de/corona), which provides statistical information on the economic and social consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
