German imports and exports both rose unexpectedly strongly in December, providing a positive note about the strength of Europe’s largest economy amid growing worries.
The Federal Statistical Office reported Friday that exports rose 1.5 percent from November, to 112.3 billion euros ($127.3 billion), while imports rose 1.2 percent to 92.9 billion euros, when adjusted for seasonal and calendar factors. That widened the trade surplus to 19.4 billion euros from November’s 18.9 billion euros.
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Economists had predicted a 0.4 percent rise in exports and a 0.5 percent rise in imports.
In unadjusted annual figures, German exports in 2018 rose 3 percent over 2017 to 1.32 trillion euros and imports rose 5.7 percent to 1.09 trillion euros.
ING economist Carsten Brzeski called the figures “a more than welcome sign of life.”
