German exports in May 2010: +28.8% on May 2009

Hence, German exports increased by 28.8% and imports by 34.3% in May 2010 on May 2009. This was the highest year-on-year increase in exports of a month since May 2000 (+30.7%) and in imports since January 1989 (+38.9%). The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of Euro 9.7 billion in May 2010. In May 2009, the surplus amounted to Euro 9.7 billion, too. Upon calendar and seasonal adjustment, exports increased by 9.2% and imports by 14.8% in May 2010 compared with April 2010. As regards imports, this was the highest month-on-month increase since the beginning of seasonal adjustments in foreign trade statistics in 1990.

Upon calendar and seasonal adjustment, the foreign trade balance recorded a surplus of Euro 10.6 billion in May 2010. According to provisional results of the Deutsche Bundesbank, the current account of the balance of payments showed a surplus of Euro 2.2 billion in May 2010, which included the balance of services (– Euro 1.5 billion), factor income net (– Euro 3.2 billion), current transfers (– Euro 1.6 billion), and supplementary trade items (– Euro 1.2 billion). In May 2009, the German current account showed a surplus of Euro 4.7 billion. In May 2010, Germany dispatched commodities to the value of Euro 47.1 billion to the Member States of the European Union (EU), while it received commodities to the value of Euro 43.2 billion from those countries.

Compared with May 2009, dispatches to the EU countries increased by 22.8% and arrivals from those countries by 32.1%. Commodities to the value of Euro 32.1 billion (+21.4%) were dispatched to the euro area countries in May 2010, while the value of the commodities received from those countries was Euro 30.6 billion (+32.8%). In May 2010, commodities to the value of Euro 15.0 billion (+25.8%) were dispatched to EU countries not belonging to the euro area, while the value of the commodities which arrived from those countries was Euro 12.5 billion (+30.5%).

Exports of commodities to countries outside the European Union (third countries) amounted to Euro 30.4 billion in May 2010, while imports from those countries totalled Euro 24.6 billion. Compared with May 2009, exports to third countries increased by 39.5% and imports from those countries by 38.2%.

Contact
Statistisches Bundesamt Deutschland Dirk Mohr tel: +49 611 75 2475 info-aussenhandel@destatis.de www.destatis.de

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