Press release No. 419 of 9 September 2021
Exports, July 2021
115.0 billion euros
+0.5% on the previous month (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
+12.4% on the same month a year earlier
Imports in July 2021
96.9 billion euros
-3.8% on the previous month (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
+16.6% on the same month a year earlier
Foreign trade balance, July 2021:
18.1 billion euros
17.9 billion euros (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
Current account according to calculations of the Deutsche Bundesbank, July 2021
17.6 billion euros
WIESBADEN – In July 2021, German exports were up by 0.5%, while imports were down by 3.8% on a calendar and seasonally adjusted basis compared with June 2021. Based on provisional data, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that, after calendar and seasonal adjustment, exports were 1.6% and imports 5.9% higher than in February 2020, the month before restrictions were imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic in Germany.
In July 2021, exports of goods amounted to 115.0 billion euros and import of goods to 96.9 billion euros. Compared with July 2020, exports increased by 12.4% and imports by 16.6% in July 2021.
The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of 18.1 billion euros in July 2021. In July 2020, the surplus amounted to 19.2 billion euros. The calendar and seasonally adjusted surplus in July 2021 was 17.9 billion euros.
The current account of the balance of payments showed a surplus of 17.6 billion euros in July 2021, which takes into account the balances of trade in goods (+17.5 billion euros), services (-2.4 billion euros), primary income (+8.2 billion euros) and secondary income (-5.7 billion euros). In July 2020, the current account showed a surplus of 20.2 billion euros.
Trade with EU countries
In July 2021, Germany exported goods to the value of 61.6 billion euros to the Member States of the European Union (EU), while it imported goods to the value of 52.8 billion euros from those countries. Compared with July 2020, exports to the EU countries increased by 17.7%, and imports from those countries by 18.7%. Goods to the value of 43.3 billion euros (+17.4%) were exported to the euro area countries in July 2021; the value of the goods imported from those countries was 36.8 billion euros (+22.4%). In July 2021, goods to the value of 18.4 billion euros (+18.4%) were exported to EU countries not belonging to the euro area, while the value of the goods imported from those countries was 16.0 billion euros (+11.0%).
Trade with non-EU countries
Exports of goods to countries outside the European Union (third countries) amounted to 53.4 billion euros in July 2021, while imports from those countries totalled 44.1 billion euros. Compared with July 2020, exports to third countries increased by 6.8% and imports from those countries by 14.2%.
Trade with the United Kingdom
Compared with the same month last year, exports to the United Kingdom were up by 7.2% to 5.9 billion euros in July 2021. German imports from the United Kingdom increased by 15.6% to 2.8 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 July 2021, exports to the People's Republic of China declined by 4.3% to 8.4 billion euros compared with July 2020. Exports to the United States increased by 15.7% to 10.8 billion euros.
In July 2021, most imports came to Germany from the People's Republic of China. The value of the goods imported from there was 10.7 billion euros (+3.9% on the same month a year earlier). Imports from the United States were up by 4.1% to 5.4 billion euros in July 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. Due 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 fourth quarter of 2019.
| Item | July | January to July | June | July | January to July |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| 1 According to calculations of the Deutsche Bundesbank. | |||||
| Foreign trade | |||||
| 1 Exports (f.o.b.) | 115.0 | 788.1 | 118.7 | 102.3 | 679.0 |
| 2 Imports (c.i.f.) | 96.9 | 673.5 | 102.5 | 83.1 | 582.8 |
| 3 Foreign trade balance (1-2) | 18.1 | 114.7 | 16.2 | 19.2 | 96.2 |
| Transition to trade in goods 1 | |||||
| 4 Supplementary trade items | -0.6 | 4.6 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 3.6 |
| Current account balances 1 | |||||
| 5 Trade in goods (3+4) | 17.5 | 119.3 | 16.4 | 19.8 | 99.8 |
| 6 Services | -2.4 | 6.1 | 0.4 | -2.6 | 0.2 |
| 7 Primary income | 8.2 | 50.5 | 8.7 | 6.8 | 46.7 |
| 8 Secondary income | -5.7 | -34.9 | -2.9 | -3.7 | -27.0 |
| Current account (5+6+7+8) | 17.6 | 141.0 | 22.6 | 20.2 | 119.7 |
| Item | July 2021 | January to July 2021 | Percentage change from | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2020 | January to July 2020 | |||
| billion euro | % | |||
| Total exports | 115.0 | 788.1 | 12.4 | 16.1 |
| including: | ||||
| EU Member States | 61.6 | 428.4 | 17.7 | 20.2 |
| Euro-zone | 43.3 | 298.4 | 17.4 | 19.7 |
| Non-euro-zone | 18.4 | 130.0 | 18.4 | 21.4 |
| Third countries | 53.4 | 359.8 | 6.8 | 11.5 |
| including: | ||||
| United Kingdom | 5.9 | 38.1 | 7.2 | 3.3 |
| Total imports | 96.9 | 673.5 | 16.6 | 15.6 |
| including: | ||||
| EU Member States | 52.8 | 363.6 | 18.7 | 18.1 |
| Euro-zone | 36.8 | 248.7 | 22.4 | 17.2 |
| Non-euro-zone | 16.0 | 114.9 | 11.0 | 20.0 |
| Third countries | 44.1 | 309.9 | 14.2 | 12.7 |
| including: | ||||
| United Kingdom | 2.8 | 19.0 | 15.6 | -7.6 |
| 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). | |||||||||
| 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 | 126.9 | 16.5 | 111.9 | 1.7 | 106.3 | 16.0 | 97.5 | 6.6 | |
| April | 111.9 | 47.8 | 112.0 | 0.1 | 96.6 | 33.6 | 96.3 | -1.2 | |
| May | 109.5 | 36.6 | 112.3 | 0.3 | 97.1 | 32.5 | 99.5 | 3.3 | |
| June | 118.7 | 23.6 | 113.7 | 1.3 | 102.5 | 27.1 | 100.2 | 0.7 | |
| July | 115.0 | 12.4 | 114.3 | 0.5 | 96.9 | 16.6 | 96.4 | -3.8 | |
First detailed provisional results by country of origin/country of destination and by chapter of the Commodity Classification for Foreign Trade Statistics are available on the Foreign trade theme page of the Federal Statistical Office’s website.
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 coronavirus crisis and the financial and economic crisis of 2008/2009.
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.
