For May
Provided by: German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
Aoril's Release: Press Release

Imports m/m: 0.7%, forecast 0.3%, pr. -2.1% (Apr), 0.6% (Mar)
Exports m/m: -3.2%, forecast 0.0%, pr. 1.2% (Apr), -0.8% (Mar)

The German trade surplus shrank in May to €14.4B, undershooting forecasts. Exports were down 3.2%, the biggest fall since June 2004. Global growth is slowing, creating less demand and the strong Euro makes German goods more expensive abroad. German exports have been a strong driver of activity during the 1st quarter. It paves a way for a rough 2nd quarter as domestic demand eases, and foreign orders slipping.  

For April
Provided by: German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
Official Release: Press Release

Imports m/m: -2.1%, forecast 0.2%, pr. 0.6%
Exports m/m: 1.2%, forecast 0.5%, pr. -0.8%

Exports grew surprisingly fast in April, while imports declined unexpectedly as well. Resilience in exports will be an area that can counter some of the slowdowns in other areas of the economy, as it has been the world's largest exporter of goods since 2003. Today's strong release contradicts the trend set by the poor industrial production and orders last week, which hinted demand maybe waning for German products.

The headline numbers are extrememly positive, but one caveat is that the bulk of the activity (more than two thirds) is within the Euro-zone, and is increasing.The German economy is still going to contract in the Q3, as can be clearly seen in the slowing demand, business, and consumer sentiments.

For March (in Euro)
Provided by: German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
Official Release: Press Release

Imports m/m: 0.8%, pr. -0.6% (rev from -0.4%)
Exports m/m: -0.5%, pr. -0.2% (rev from 0.0%)

German exports declined for a second straight month and imports expanded, lowering the trade surplus to €16.7 billion. It came as a surprise to economists, but it seems that the global slowdown and a high euro are definitely taking their toll on orders. Yesterday, data showed that Factory Orders in Germany were down and German business confidence has declined recently. Signs that exports growth could help offset the pressures of weaker aggregate demand are starting to buckle, and could have a troubling sign for Euro-zone growth going forward.

For February (in Euro)
Provided by: German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)

Imports m/m: -0.4%, forecast -0.8%, pr. 4.0%
Exports m/m: 0.0%, forecast 0.3%, pr. 3.6%

The German trade surplus fell to 16.9B euros in February from 17.1B in January. Expectations were for an even steeper decline. Most of the gain came from a reduction of imports and not an increase of exports.  

For December (in Euro)

Provided by: German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
Official Release

Imports s.a. m/m: 5.3%, forecast 2.8%, pr. -3.0% (Nov)
Exports s.a. m/m: -1.2%, forecast 1.1%, pr. -0.5% (Nov)

"In a month-on-month comparison, exports and imports showed opposite trends when adjusted for calendar and seasonal variations. Exports were down 1.2% on November 2007, while imports rose 5.3%, according to provisional data of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

In 2007, Germany exported commodities to the value of EUR 969.1 billion and imported commodities to the value of EUR 770.4 billion. German exports in 2007 thus were 8.5% and imports 5.0% above the respective 2006 levels. The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of EUR 198.8 billion in 2007. In 2006, the foreign trade balance showed a surplus of EUR 159.0 billion."