Press release No. 439 of 13 October 2022
- Total goods exports increased 23.1% on the same month a year earlier
- Exports to the United States rose 42.0% on August 2021
WIESBADEN – Germany exported goods to the total value of 128.7 billion euros in August 2022, which was a 23.1% increase compared with August 2021. Exports to Russia dropped by 45.8% to 1.2 billion euros over that period as a consequence of the war in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). In contrast, exports to the United States, the most important destination of German exports, increased by 42.0% to 13.3 billion euros. The most important goods exported to the United States were motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers to the value of 2.6 billion euros (+96.1% on August 2021). Other important trading partners in terms of exports were France (8.9 billion euros; +25.7%) and the Netherlands (8.8 billion euros; +11.2%).
Goods to the total value of 128.4 billion euros were imported to Germany in August 2022. This was an increase of 38.1% compared with the same month of the preceding year. The most important trading partner in imports was China; the value of imports from there rose by 39.1% to 15.9 billion euros. The value of imports from Russia was down 6.2% to 2.7 billion euros. The decrease would have been larger without the price increases recorded especially in the energy sector. In volume terms, imports from Russia fell by 59.4% compared with August 2021. Mineral oil and natural gas imports from Russia were down 12.9% to 1.4 billion euros in value terms and 66.5% to 1.8 million tonnes in volume terms. Nevertheless, mineral oil and natural gas were the most important goods imported from Russia. Other important goods were coke and refined petroleum products (+147.8% to 0.6 billion euros) and coal (+17.9% to 0.2 billion euros).
Germany’s foreign trade balance (exports minus imports) amounted to +0.3 billion euros in August 2022 (August 2021: +11.6 billion euros). In trade with Russia, more goods were imported from Russia than exported there in value terms. In August 2022, the import surplus with Russia was 1.5 billion euros. In August 2021 it had been 0.7 billion euros. In trade with the United States, an export surplus of 4.9 billion euros was recorded in August 2022. in August 2021 it had been +3.1 billion euros.
More information:
All detailed results on German foreign trade in reference month August 2022 are available in the GENESIS-Online database (tables 51000). The foreign trade results 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 Covid-19 crisis and the financial and economic crisis of 2008/2009. They are also available on the “Corona Statistics” webpage (www.destatis.de/corona) and in the Dashboard Germany (www.dashboard-deutschland.de), together with other indicators which can be used to assess the economic consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Dashboard Germany portal of the Federal Statistical Office combines up-to-date indicators of official statistics and of other data providers on the topics of economy and finance as well as health and mobility.
Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the related sanctions have an impact on many parts of the economy and society. We have compiled data and information on the subject for you on a special webpage (only in german).
