10-Mar-2026 16:37

Germany's foreign trade showed mixed trends in January 2026, according to provisional data from Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). On a calendar and seasonally adjusted basis, exports fell by 2.3% and imports dropped by 5.9% compared with December 2025. However, compared with January 2025, exports edged up by 0.6%, while imports declined by 4.0%.

Germany exported goods worth EUR 130.5 billion and imported EUR 109.2 billion in January 2026, resulting in a trade surplus of EUR 21.2 billion. This was higher than the EUR 17.4 billion surplus recorded in December 2025 and the EUR 15.9 billion surplus in January 2025.

Trade with the European Union weakened during the month. Exports to EU member states fell by 4.8% to EUR 71.6 billion, while imports from the bloc declined by 6.5% to EUR 55.6 billion. Exports to euro area countries dropped by 5.7%, while shipments to EU countries outside the euro area decreased by 2.7%.

Trade with countries outside the EU showed a different trend. Exports to these markets rose by 1.0% to EUR 58.8 billion, while imports fell by 5.3% to EUR 53.6 billion.

The United States remained Germany's largest export destination, with exports rising 11.7% month-on-month to EUR 13.2 billion. Meanwhile, exports to the People's Republic of China fell sharply by 13.2%. Imports were highest from China at EUR 14.2 billion, though they declined by 8.3% compared with December.

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