Press release No. 149 of 9 May 2017
WIESBADEN – Germany exported goods to the value of 118.2 billion euros and imported goods to the value of 92.9 billion euros in March 2017. These are the highest monthly figures ever reported for both exports and imports. Based on provisional data, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that German exports increased by 10.8% and imports by 14.7% in March 2017 year on year. After calendar and seasonal adjustment, exports were up by 0.4% and imports by 2.4% compared with February 2017.
The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of 25.4 billion euros in March 2017. In March 2016, the surplus amounted to 25.8 billion euros. In calendar and seasonally adjusted terms, the foreign trade balance recorded a surplus of 19.6 billion euros in March 2017.
According to provisional results of the Deutsche Bundesbank, the current account of the balance of payments showed a surplus of 30.2 billion euros in March 2017, which takes into account the balances of trade in goods including supplementary trade items (+27.4 billion euros), services (–1.3 billion euros), primary income (+6.5 billion euros) and secondary income (–2.5 billion euros). In March 2016, the German current account showed a surplus of 29.1 billion euros.
In March 2017, Germany exported goods to the value of 68.0 billion euros to the Member States of the European Union (EU), while it imported goods to the value of 61.1 billion euros from those countries. Compared with March 2016, exports to the EU countries increased by 8.7%, and imports from those countries by 13.5%. Goods to the value of 42.4 billion euros (+9.2%) were dispatched to the Euro area countries in March 2017, while the value of the goods received from those countries was 41.3 billion euros (+12.5%). In March 2017, goods to the value of 25.6 billion euros (+7.8%) were exported to EU countries not belonging to the Euro area, while the value of the goods imported from those countries was 19.8 billion euros (+15.7%).
Exports of goods to countries outside the European Union (third countries) amounted to 50.3 billion euros in March 2017, while imports from those countries totalled 31.8 billion euros. Compared with March 2016, exports to third countries increased by 13.9%, while imports from those countries rose by 17.1%.
| Item | March | January to March | February | March | January to March |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 2016 | ||||
| 1 According to calculations of the Deutsche Bundesbank. | |||||
| Foreign trade | |||||
| 1 Exports (f.o.b.) | 118.2 | 319.4 | 102.4 | 106.7 | 294.4 |
| 2 Imports (c.i.f.) | 92.9 | 259.1 | 82.4 | 80.9 | 235.7 |
| 3 Foreign trade balance (1-2) | 25.4 | 60.3 | 20.0 | 25.8 | 58.8 |
| Transition to trade in goods 1 | |||||
| 4 Supplementary trade items | 2.0 | 6.4 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 5.4 |
| Current account balances 1 | |||||
| 5 Trade in goods (3+4) | 27.4 | 66.7 | 23.1 | 27.5 | 64.1 |
| 6 Services | –1.3 | –3.3 | –0.8 | –1.6 | –3.4 |
| 7 Primary income | 6.5 | 15.6 | 3.0 | 6.8 | 16.9 |
| 8 Secondary income | –2.5 | –13.9 | –4.6 | –3.6 | –13.4 |
| Current account (5+6+7+8) | 30.2 | 65.1 | 20.7 | 29.1 | 64.3 |
| Item | MArch 2017 | January to March 2017 | Percentage change from | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2016 | January to March 2016 | |||
| billion euro | % | |||
| Results in accordance with the EU concept (by country of consignment). | ||||
| Groups of countries | ||||
| Total exports | 118.2 | 319.4 | 10.8 | 8.5 |
| including: | ||||
| EU Member States | 68.0 | 188.0 | 8.7 | 6.5 |
| Euro-zone | 42.4 | 117.6 | 9.2 | 7.0 |
| Non-euro-zone | 25.6 | 70.4 | 7.8 | 5.7 |
| Third countries | 50.3 | 131.5 | 13.9 | 11.4 |
| Total imports | 92.9 | 259.1 | 14.7 | 10.0 |
| including: | ||||
| EU Member States | 61.1 | 169.6 | 13.5 | 8.9 |
| Euro-zone | 41.3 | 114.7 | 12.5 | 8.1 |
| Non-euro-zone | 19.8 | 54.9 | 15.7 | 10.8 |
| Third countries | 31.8 | 89.5 | 17.1 | 11.9 |
| 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 Census X-12-ARIMA | |||||||||
| 2016 | January | 88.5 | –1.4 | 98.3 | 0.1 | 75.3 | 1.7 | 79.5 | 1.4 |
| February | 99.3 | 4.1 | 98.9 | 0.6 | 79.5 | 4.3 | 79.3 | –0.3 | |
| March | 106.7 | –0.9 | 100.7 | 1.8 | 80.9 | –4.3 | 77.6 | –2.0 | |
| April | 104.0 | 3.9 | 100.6 | –0.0 | 78.7 | –0.2 | 77.7 | 0.1 | |
| May | 97.0 | 1.6 | 99.3 | –1.4 | 76.2 | –0.1 | 77.7 | 0.0 | |
| June | 106.5 | 1.2 | 99.2 | –0.1 | 82.0 | 0.4 | 78.2 | 0.6 | |
| July | 96.0 | –10.0 | 97.6 | –1.6 | 76.9 | –6.5 | 78.1 | –0.0 | |
| August | 96.2 | 9.7 | 101.0 | 3.5 | 76.6 | 5.3 | 79.7 | 1.9 | |
| September | 105.9 | 0.4 | 100.0 | –1.0 | 81.9 | –1.6 | 79.1 | –0.7 | |
| October | 101.4 | –4.2 | 100.6 | 0.6 | 82.2 | –2.3 | 80.0 | 1.2 | |
| November | 108.0 | 5.1 | 103.6 | 3.0 | 85.9 | 4.5 | 82.8 | 3.5 | |
| December | 97.4 | 6.3 | 101.5 | –2.1 | 78.8 | 7.6 | 82.9 | 0.1 | |
| 2017 | January | 98.8 | 11.7 | 104.0 | 2.5 | 83.9 | 11.4 | 85.1 | 2.7 |
| February | 102.4 | 3.2 | 105.0 | 0.9 | 82.4 | 3.7 | 83.8 | –1.6 | |
| March | 118.2 | 10.8 | 105.4 | 0.4 | 92.9 | 14.7 | 85.8 | 2.4 | |