Germany's trade surplus with the rest of the world narrowed slightly in February from the previous month as imports increased more strongly than exports, the Federal Statistics Office reported today.
The Office said Germany's February trade surplus was €12.1 billion, compared with €12.5 billion in January. In February 2003, the surplus was €10.7 billion.
Manufacturing orders data for February released yesterday showed foreign demand slipped for a second month in a row.
Year on year, total exports rose by 5.4 per cent. Exports within the 12-nation euro zone rose by 6.7 per cent and by 4.4 per cent outside the European Union.
Over the same period, total imports rose by 3.5 per cent, climbing 4.6 per cent from within the eurozone and by 3.9 per cent from non-EU countries.
On a seasonally adjusted basis, exports fell by 2.5 per cent month-on-month, while imports increased by 1.4 per cent. In January, exports had risen by 6 per cent on an adjusted basis and imports by 3 per cent.