Press release No. 175 of 9 April 2021
Exports, February 2021
107.8 billion euros
+0.9% on the previous month (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
-1.2% on the same month of the previous year
Imports, February 2021
89.7 billion euros
+3.6% on the previous month (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
+0.9% on the same month of the previous year
Foreign trade balance, February 2021:
18.1 billion euros
19.1 billion euros (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
Current account according to calculations of the Deutsche Bundesbank, February 2021
18.8 billion euros
WIESBADEN – In February 2021, German exports were up 0.9% and imports 3.6% on a calendar and seasonally adjusted basis compared with January 2021. Based on provisional data, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that, after calendar and seasonal adjustment, exports were 2.1% lower than in February 2020, the month before restrictions were imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic in Germany. Imports increased by 0.2% in calendar and seasonally adjusted terms on February 2020.
Germany exported goods to the value of 107.8 billion euros and imported goods to the value of 89.7 billion euros in February 2021. Compared with February 2020, exports decreased by 1.2% and imports increased by 0.9% in February 2021.
The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of 18.1 billion euros in February 2021. In February 2020, the surplus amounted to 20.3 billion euros. In calendar and seasonally adjusted terms, the foreign trade balance recorded a surplus of 19.1 billion euros in February 2021.
The German current account of the balance of payments showed a surplus of 18.8 billion euros in February 2021, which takes into account the balances of trade in goods (+18.6 billion euros), services (+1.2 billion euros), primary income (+7.7 billion euros) and secondary income (-8.8 billion euros). In February 2020, the German current account had shown a surplus of 21.6 billion euros.
Trade with EU countries
In February 2021, Germany exported goods to the value of 58.3 billion euros to the Member States of the European Union (EU), while it imported goods to the value of 49.7 billion euros from those countries. Compared with February 2020, exports to the EU countries decreased by 0.3%, while imports from those countries grew by 0.7%. Goods to the value of 40.4 billion euros (-0.9%) were exported to the euro area countries in February 2021, while the value of the goods imported from those countries was 33.7 billion euros (-0.6%). In February 2021, goods to the value of 17.9 billion euros (+1.2%) were exported to EU countries not belonging to the euro area, while the value of the goods imported from those countries was 16.0 billion euros (+3.7%).
Trade with non-EU countries
Exports of goods to countries outside the European Union (third countries) amounted to 49.5 billion euros in February 2021, while imports from those countries totalled 40.0 billion euros. Compared with February 2020, exports to third countries declined by 2.3% and imports from those countries increased by 1.1%.
Trade with the United Kingdom
Compared with the same month last year, exports to the United Kingdom dropped by 12.2% to 5.4 billion euros in February 2021. German imports from the United Kingdom were down 26.9% to 2.7 billion euros.
On 1 January 2021 the partnership agreement negotiated between the EU and the United Kingdom took provisional effect. As the United Kingdom has left the EU single market and the customs union, its withdrawal from the EU has now been completed. More information on the Brexit and a selection of statistical indicators that are assumed to be affected by the Brexit are provided by the Brexit Monitor of the Federal Statistical Office.
Trade with other selected countries
In February 2021, exports to the People's Republic of China rose by 25.7% to 8.5 billion euros compared with February 2020. Exports to the United States fell by 0.6% to 9.5 billion euros.
In February 2021, most imports to Germany came from the People's Republic of China. Goods to the value of 9.9 billion euros were imported from there (+32.5% on the same month of the previous year). Imports from the United States declined by 12.6% to 5.1 billion euros in February 2021.
Methodological note:
The differing comparative periods must be taken into account in all press releases on short-term indicators. Short-term economic monitoring focuses on comparisons with the previous month or previous quarter. These reflect short-term economic trends. A comparison with the previous year is intended to offer a long-term comparison of levels and is not subject to seasonal fluctuations. Due to strong temporary decreases and increases during the current coronavirus crisis, the results of month-on-month/quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year comparisons may differ considerably. Both of the two perspectives are important: what is the short-term economic trend compared with the previous month/previous quarter, and how far has the catching-up process gone compared with the previous year’s level? In order to provide also a direct comparison with the pre-crisis level, all press releases on short-term indicators available in seasonally adjusted form will, for the time being, include a comparison with February 2020 or the fourth quarter of 2019.
| Item | February | January to February | January | February | January to February |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| 1 According to calculations of the Deutsche Bundesbank. | |||||
| Foreign trade | |||||
| 1 Exports (f.o.b.) | 107.8 | 206.0 | 98.2 | 109.2 | 215.8 |
| 2 Imports (c.i.f.) | 89.7 | 174.1 | 84.4 | 88.9 | 181.8 |
| 3 Foreign trade balance (1-2) | 18.1 | 32.0 | 13.8 | 20.3 | 34.0 |
| Transition to trade in goods 1 | |||||
| 4 Supplementary trade items | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.4 | -0.1 | 0.3 |
| Current account balances 1 | |||||
| 5 Trade in goods (3+4) | 18.6 | 32.8 | 14.2 | 20.2 | 34.3 |
| 6 Services | 1.2 | 2.2 | 0.9 | -1.3 | -2.4 |
| 7 Primary income | 7.7 | 17.5 | 9.8 | 7.0 | 17.2 |
| 8 Secondary income | -8.8 | -16.1 | -7.3 | -4.3 | -11.6 |
| Current account (5+6+7+8) | 18.8 | 36.4 | 17.6 | 21.6 | 37.5 |
| Item | February 2021 | January to February 2021 | Percentage change from | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 2020 | January to February 2020 | |||
| billion euro | % | |||
| Total exports | 107.8 | 206.0 | -1.2 | -4.5 |
| including: | ||||
| EU Member States | 58.3 | 112.9 | -0.3 | -3.1 |
| Euro-zone | 40.4 | 78.6 | -0.9 | -3.7 |
| Non-euro-zone | 17.9 | 34.4 | 1.2 | -1.6 |
| Third countries | 49,5 | 93,1 | -2,3 | -6,2 |
| including: | ||||
| United Kingdom | 5.4 | 9.7 | -12.2 | -20.5 |
| Total imports | 89.7 | 174.1 | 0.9 | -4.3 |
| including: | ||||
| EU Member States | 49.7 | 94.0 | 0.7 | -2.4 |
| Euro-zone | 33.7 | 63.4 | -0.6 | -3.9 |
| Non-euro-zone | 16.0 | 30.6 | 3.7 | 0.7 |
| Third countries | 40.0 | 80.0 | 1.1 | -6.3 |
| including: | ||||
| United Kingdom | 2.7 | 4.4 | -26.9 | -39.6 |
| Year | Month | Exports | Imports | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| original value | calendar and seasonally adjusted value 1 | original value | calendar and seasonally adjusted value 1 | ||||||
| value in billion euros | change on the same month of the previous year in % | value in billion euros | change on previous month in % | value in billion euros | change on the same month of the previous year in % | value in billion euros | change on previous month in % | ||
| 1 Using J-DEMETRA+ (X-13 ARIMA). | |||||||||
| 2020 | January | 106.6 | -2.1 | 111.1 | 0.4 | 92.9 | -1.4 | 92.9 | 1.4 |
| February | 109.2 | 0.3 | 112.4 | 1.2 | 88.9 | -2.4 | 90.7 | -2.4 | |
| March | 108.9 | -7.9 | 99.3 | -11.7 | 91.7 | -4.3 | 86.5 | -4.6 | |
| April | 75.7 | -31.1 | 75.7 | -23.7 | 72.3 | -21.6 | 72.2 | -16.5 | |
| May | 80.2 | -29.8 | 82.2 | 8.6 | 73.3 | -21.6 | 75.1 | 4.0 | |
| June | 96.0 | -9.5 | 94.8 | 15.3 | 80.6 | -9.9 | 80.3 | 7.0 | |
| July | 102.3 | -11.0 | 98.9 | 4.4 | 83.1 | -11.3 | 81.1 | 0.9 | |
| August | 91.3 | -10.2 | 101.9 | 3.0 | 79.4 | -6.7 | 86.8 | 7.1 | |
| September | 109.9 | -3.8 | 104.3 | 2.4 | 89.7 | -3.5 | 87.5 | 0.8 | |
| October | 112.2 | -6.3 | 105.0 | 0.6 | 92.5 | -6.0 | 87.2 | -0.4 | |
| November | 112.0 | -1.1 | 106.9 | 1.8 | 95.3 | 0.6 | 91.0 | 4.4 | |
| December | 101.0 | 3.0 | 107.3 | 0.3 | 85.8 | 3.5 | 90.9 | -0.1 | |
| 2021 | January | 98.2 | -7.9 | 109.0 | 1.6 | 84.4 | -9.2 | 87.7 | -3.5 |
| February | 107.8 | -1.2 | 110.0 | 0.9 | 89.7 | 0.9 | 90.8 | 3.6 | |
First detailed provisional results by country of origin/country of destination and by chapter of the Commodity Classification for Foreign Trade Statistics are available for downloading.
Crisis Monitor enables comparison between corona crisis and financial and economic crisis
Foreign trade statistics also form part of the Crisis Monitor (www.destatis.de/krisenmonitor) by means of which the Federal Statistical Office compares the development of major short-term indicators in the corona crisis and in the 2008-2009 financial and economic crisis. The Crisis monitor complements the Corona statistics webpage (www.destatis.de/corona), which provides statistical information on the economic and social consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
