German exports fall 0.5% in August; imports down 1.3%

Such exports decreased by 0.7 per cent year on year (YoY) and imports rose by 3.5 per cent YoY in the month, provisional data show.

After calendar and seasonal adjustment, Germany exported goods worth €129.7 billion and imported goods worth €112.5 billion in August. The foreign trade surplus was €17.2 billion in the month.

Goods worth €72.5 billion were exported to the member states of the European Union (EU) in August, while goods worth €58.8 billion were imported from these countries.

Calendar- and seasonally-adjusted exports to EU countries dropped by 2.5 per cent MoM and imports from these countries fell by 1.9 per cent MoM in the month.

The value of the goods exported to euro area countries totalled €50.8 billion—a drop of 2.2 per cent MoM, and the value of the goods imported from these countries was €39.3 billion—a drop of 0.7 per cent MoM.

Goods to the value of €21.8 billion (minus 3.1 per cent MoM) were exported to EU countries not belonging to the euro area in the month, while the value of the goods imported from those countries was €19.5 billion (minus 4.2 per cent MoM), a Destatis release said.

Exports of goods to countries outside the EU (third countries) amounted to €57.1 billion in August 2025, while imports from these countries totalled €53.7 billion on a calendar- and seasonally-adjusted basis. Exports to third countries increased by 2.2 per cent MoM in the month and imports from those countries decreased by 0.7 per cent MoM.

Most German exports in August went to the United States. After seasonal and calendar adjustment, exports of goods to the United States decreased by 2.5 per cent MoM in the month to €10.9 billion. This was the fifth MoM decrease in a row and the lowest value since November 2021.

Exports to the United States were down by 20.1 per cent YoY on a calendar- and seasonally-adjusted basis in August.

Exports to China increased by 5.4 per cent MoM to €6.8 billion and to the United Kingdom decreased by 6.5 per cent MoM to €6.5 billion.

Most imports in August came from China. Goods to the value of €13.5 billion were imported from there on a calendar- and seasonally-adjusted basis—a decrease of 4.5 per cent MoM. Imports from the United States rose by 3.4 per cent MoM to €8 billion. Imports from the United Kingdom dropped by 4.6 per cent MoM to €3 billion in the month.

After seasonal and calendar adjustment, exports to Russia increased by 53.5 per cent MoM to €0.8 billion in August. These were up by 31.8 per cent YoY in the month. Imports from Russia fell by 8.5 per cent MoM and 27.1 per cent YoY to €0.1 billion in the month.

ALCHEMPro News Desk (DS)