German exports fell in August by 1.8% on July 2009 while imports increased by 1.1%, Germany's statistics office, Destatis, said today. In the 12-month period to August, German exports fell by 20.0% and imports by 19.3% in August 2009 compared with the same month in 2008.

In the month, Germany exported goods to the value of €60.4 billion and imported commodities to the value of €52.2 billion in August 2009. 
 
The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of €8.1 billion in August 2009. In August 2008, the surplus had amounted to € 10.8 billion. After seasonal adjustment, the foreign trade balance recorded a surplus of €10.6 billion in August 2009.
 
According to provisional results from the  central bank, Deutsche Bundesbank, the current account of the balance of payments showed a surplus of €4.6 billion in August 2009, which included the balance of services (– €4.3 billion), factor income net (+ €4.7 billion), current transfers (– € .1 billion), and supplementary trade items (– € 0.8 billion). In August 2008, the German current account had shown a surplus of € 8.1 billion.

In August 2009, Germany exported goods to the value of €37.9 billion to the countries of the European Union (EU), while it received commodities to the value of €33.8 billion from those countries. Compared with August 2008, dispatches to and arrivals from the EU countries decreased by 19.3% and 16.8%, respectively. Commodities to the value of €25.2 billion (–17.6%) were dispatched to the Eurozone countries in August 2009, while the value of the commodities received from those countries was €23.9 billion (–15.8%). In August 2009, exports to the value of €12.7 billion (–22.5%) shipped to EU countries outside of the Eurozone, while the value of the commodities which arrived from those countries was € 9.9 billion (–19.2%).

Exports of commodities to countries outside the EU amounted to €22.5 billion in August 2009, while imports from those countries amounted to €18.5 billion.

Compared with August 2008, exports to third countries decreased by 21.2% and imports from those countries by 23.3%.