Deutschland Handelsbilanzsaldo

Germany's trade surplus widened to EUR 20.7 billion in December 2024 from a downwardly revised EUR 19.2 billion in November, surpassing forecasts of EUR 17 billion, marking the largest trade surplus since August. Exports unexpectedly grew by 2.9% mom to an eight-month high of EUR 131.7 billion in December 2024, beating estimates of a 0.6% fall. It marked the second straight month of growth in exports and the fastest pace since January 2024, boosted by higher sales to EU countries (5.9%), namely to the Euro area (6.7%) and the non-Euro area (3.9%). In contrast, sales to third countries dropped by 0.5%, weighed by lower sales to the US (-3.5%), Russia (-19.9%), and the UK (-6.6%). Meanwhile, imports rose 2.1% to EUR 111.1 billion, faster than forecasts of a 1.8% growth. Purchases from the EU climbed by 3.6%, and those from third countries grew by 0.5%, with notable rises from the US (3.0%) and Russia (14.4%). For the 2024 full year, the country posted a surplus of EUR 241.2 billion.