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German exports rise, industrial production falls

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on February 7, 2025

2 min read

· Last updated: January 26, 2026

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By Maria Martinez BERLIN (Reuters) - German exports rose in December, but industrial production fell more than expected, showing that the outlook for the euro zone's largest economy remains anything

German Exports Climb, Industrial Output Drops in December

By Maria Martinez

BERLIN (Reuters) - German exports rose in December, but industrial production fell more than expected, showing that the outlook for the euro zone's largest economy remains anything but rosy.

German exports rose by 2.9% in December compared with the previous month, data from the federal statistics office showed on Friday.

The result compared with a 0.6% decrease forecast in a Reuters poll.

Exports to EU countries rose by 5.9% on the month, while exports to countries outside of the EU fell by 0.5%.

Imports rose by 2.1% on a calendar and seasonally adjusted basis compared with November.

The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of 20.7 billion euros ($21.48 billion) in December, up from 19.2 billion euros in November 2024.

Meanwhile, German industrial production fell more than expected in December, decreasing by 2.4% compared with the previous month, the federal statistics office said on Friday.

Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted a 0.6% fall.

German industrial orders rose by 6.9% on the previous month in December due to substantial growth in large-scale orders such as aircraft, ships, trains and military vehicles, the federal statistics office said on Thursday.

($1 = 0.9638 euros)

(Reporting by Maria Martinez in Berlin, Marleen Kaesebier and Amir Orusov in Gdansk, Editing by Miranda Murray)

Key Takeaways

  • German exports increased by 2.9% in December.
  • Industrial production in Germany fell by 2.4%.
  • Exports to EU countries rose by 5.9%.
  • The trade surplus increased to 20.7 billion euros.
  • Industrial orders saw a 6.9% rise due to large-scale orders.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main topic?
The article discusses the rise in German exports and the fall in industrial production in December.
How did exports to EU countries perform?
Exports to EU countries increased by 5.9% in December.
What was the change in the trade surplus?
The trade surplus increased to 20.7 billion euros in December.

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