Press release No. 180 of 29 May 2026
Import prices, April 2026
+5.3% on the same month a year earlier
+1.2% on the previous month
Export prices, April 2026
+2.9% on the same month a year earlier
+0.8% on the previous month
WIESBADEN – Import prices were 5.3% higher in April 2026 compared with April 2025. This was the largest year-on-year increase recorded since January 2023 (also +5.3% on January 2022). Compared with the same month a year earlier, the rate of change was +2.3% in March 2026, and -2.3% in February 2026. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that import prices in April 2026 rose by 1.2% on the previous month.
Export prices were 2.9% higher in April 2026 than in April 2025. This was the largest year-on-year increase since March 2023 (+3.3% on March 2022). Compared with the same month a year earlier, the rate of change was +1.5% in March 2026, and -0.1% in February 2026. Compared with March 2026, export prices were up 0.8%.
Sharp price increases for imported intermediate goods and energy in wake of Iran war
The +7.8% year-on-year increase in intermediate goods prices (+2.4% on March 2026) and the +31.0% increase in energy prices (+2.8% on March 2026) had the biggest impact on the overall development of import prices in April 2026 compared with April 2025. A sharper year-on-year rise in import prices for energy was last registered in October 2022 (+63.0% compared with October 2021).
In the case of intermediate goods, non-ferrous metals and non-ferrous semi-finished metal products, in particular, were substantially more expensive (+27.6%) than in the same month of the preceding year, with precious metals registering an increase of +49.9%. The prices of imported fertilisers and nitrogen compounds were also much higher than in April 2025 (+22.9%). These price developments are a consequence of the conflict in Iran and the Middle East, which also caused fertiliser prices to rise significantly on the previous month (+7.6%).
The war in the Middle East had an even greater impact on crude oil, natural gas, hard coal and mineral oil prices compared with the previous year and month. Considerable year-on-year price increases were recorded for mineral oil products (+58.1%), crude oil (+47.5%), hard coal (+8.1%) and natural gas (+6.9%). Compared with March 2026, higher prices were recorded for almost all energy sources: Hard coal cost 3.1% more, crude oil was 7.5% more expensive and mineral oil products prices increased by 3.1% (including kerosene-based aviation turbine fuel, in particular (+2.7%)). Only natural gas was less expensive than in the previous month (-0.4%).
When energy prices are excluded, import prices in April 2026 were up 2.8% compared with the same month a year earlier (+1.0% compared with March 2026). If only crude oil and mineral oil products are not considered, the import price index was 2.9% above the level of April 2025 (+0.9% on March 2026).
Imported capital goods were also more expensive compared with the previous year and month, with prices up 1.5% on April 2025 and 0.5% on March 2026.
Imported agricultural goods and consumer goods less expensive than a year earlier
On average, imported agricultural goods cost 4.7% less in April 2026 than in the same month a year earlier (-2.2% compared with March 2026). The prices of raw cocoa were down 51.1% from April 2025 but increased by 1.3% compared with March 2026. Live pigs also cost less than in April 2025 (-17.1%), but were considerably more expensive compared with the previous month (+4.7%). Imported green coffee cost 16.6% less than a year earlier and was 1.9% less expensive than a month earlier. In April 2026, the prices of imported grain were also down from April 2025 (-6.1%) and slightly lower than in March 2026 (-0.1%). By contrast, tomatoes, in particular, were substantially more expensive than in the previous year (+25.8% compared with April 2025). They cost less than in March 2026 (-8.5%), however.
Imported consumer goods (durable and non-durable) were 1.4% less expensive in April 2026 than in the previous year (+0.1% compared with March 2026). The prices of durable consumer goods were 0.2% lower than in the same month of the previous year (+0.1% on March 2026), and the prices of non-durable consumer goods were down 1.7% year on year (+0.1% on March 2026). Food in general was 5.4% less expensive than in April 2025 (+0.2% on March 2026), with lower prices observed for cocoa butter, fat and oil (-57.2%), fruit and vegetable juices (-26.3%), milk and milk products (-13.3%) and pork (-13.3%), for example. Compared with April 2025, higher prices were recorded particularly for shelled hazelnuts (+29.7%) and beef (+6.6%).
Impact of Iran war also clearly visible in export prices: sharp price increases for exported intermediate goods and energy
In the case of export prices, the increase in intermediate goods prices had the biggest impact on the year-on-year rate of change as they account for a large share in the overall index. On average, the prices of intermediate goods were up 4.3% from April 2025 and were 1.7% higher than in March 2026. In the case of capital goods, the price level was 1.6% higher than in April 2025 (+0.3% compared with March 2026). Taken together, the two product groups account for nearly 75% of goods exports.
The effects of the Iran war were also reflected in export prices: prices of energy exports were up 27.0% from April 2025 and were 4.0% higher than in March 2026. The prices of mineral oil products, in particular, registered a marked increase of +52.4%. This included exports of kerosene-based aviation turbine fuel, which were 106.3% more expensive than a year earlier, but were down (-2.8%) on March 2026, however. Natural gas was also more expensive (+7.9%) than in April 2025.
Exports of agricultural products cost 5.7% less than in the same month a year earlier. Compared with March 2026, prices here were down 0.7%.
Consumer goods (with an export share of approximately 21%) were also less expensive than in April 2025 (-0.3% on April 2025, but +0.2% on March 2026). The prices of non-durable consumer goods were 0.7% lower than in April 2025 (+0.3% on March 2026), whereas the prices of durable consumer goods increased by 1.7% compared with the same month a year earlier (+0.3% on March 2026). In the case of exported non-durable consumer goods, prices of food, in particular, were down (-5.4% compared with April 2025, but +0.1% on March 2026), with the prices of cocoa paste, cocoa butter, fat and oil and cocoa powder, for example, significantly lower (-35.5%) than in April 2025 (+0.3% on March 2026). Milk and milk products also cost markedly less (-11.5%), on average, than a year earlier (+1.2% on March 2026), including butter and dairy spreads, in particular (-41.3% compared with April 2025; +1.9% on March 2026).
By contrast, beef (fresh or chilled) was exported at prices which were 14.3% higher than in April 2025 (-1.4% on March 2026).
Indices of foreign trade prices are calculated excluding taxes and customs duties
The calculation of the indices of foreign trade prices is based exclusively on the contractually agreed prices at which domestic businesses buy goods abroad or sell goods abroad. Taxes and customs duties are therefore not included in the calculation of the indices.
Methodological notes:
The current base year of the indices of foreign trade prices is 2021. The basket of goods and the weighting of the indices refer to this base year.
More information:
Current results can also be found in the tables and statistical reports on the "Import and export price index" page of the website of the Federal Statistical Office. Long time series are available, for example, in the tables on the index of import prices (61411-0002 and 61411-0006) and index of export prices (61421-0002 and 61421-0006) in the GENESIS-Online database.
Import price indices can also be found on the "Economic Dashboard" (www.dashboard-konjunktur.de) (only in German). In this data portal, the Federal Statistical Office brings together high-frequency indicators from official statistics producers and other data providers on the topics of the economy, finance, the labour market, construction and energy.