Germany’s Trade Surplus Shrinks to USD21.8B as Exports Slip

(MENAFN) German exports fell 0.8% in August from the previous month, while imports climbed, shrinking the trade surplus in Europe’s largest economy. Even so, the surplus came in above market forecasts, official data showed Thursday.

Exports totaled €137.6 billion ($154.1 billion), and imports rose 0.9% to €118.1 billion ($132.3 billion), according to provisional figures from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).

The trade surplus narrowed to €19.5 billion ($21.8 billion) from €21.6 billion ($24.2 billion) in July. That topped the market forecast of €19 billion ($21.3 billion) and exceeded the €17.6 billion ($19.7 billion) posted in August 2025. Compared with a year earlier, exports grew 6.2% and imports rose 5.5%.

United States: Shipments to Germany’s top export destination in August dropped 6.3% from July to €13.5 billion ($15.1 billion), though they stayed 22.6% above the year-earlier level. Imports from the US slipped 0.5% to €8.1 billion ($9.1 billion).

United Kingdom: Exports to Britain surged 16.7% from the prior month to €7.9 billion ($8.8 billion), while imports from the UK fell 3.8% to €3.2 billion ($3.6 billion).

China: Exports to China edged up 4.7% to €5.9 billion ($6.6 billion). Imports from China, Germany’s biggest supplier of foreign goods, jumped 11% to €16.8 billion ($18.8 billion).

European Union: Exports to EU member states declined 0.6% to €77.5 billion ($86.8 billion), and imports from the bloc fell 0.4% to €59.3 billion ($66.4 billion). Within the EU, exports to euro area countries rose 0.8%, while shipments to members outside the currency union sank 3.5%.

Non-EU markets: Exports to countries outside the EU fell 1.1% to €60 billion ($67.2 billion), while imports rose 2.2% to €58.8 billion ($65.9 billion).

Over the first eight months of 2026, calendar- and seasonally adjusted exports reached €1.09 trillion ($1.22 trillion), up 4.4% from the same period a year ago.

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