Foreign trade German exports fall significantly in May

German companies exported significantly less in May. Compared to the previous month of April, the value of exported goods fell by 3.6% to 131.6 billion euros, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office.

Imports also weakened, falling by 6.6 percent to 106.7 billion euros. The foreign trade surplus thus amounted to 24.9 billion euros after 22.2 billion euros in April. Last year, the German export industry had already felt the effects of weak global trade and the consequences of geopolitical crises.

This is a setback for the German economy. As recently as April, foreign trade recorded rising exports - which had raised hopes of an economic recovery.