Press release No. 217 of 7 May 2021
Exports, March 2021
126.5 billion euros
+1.2% on the previous month (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
+16.1% on the same month a year earlier
Imports, March 2021
105.9 billion euros
+6.5% on the previous month (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
+15.5% on the same month a year earlier
Foreign trade balance, March 2021:
20.5 billion euros
14.3 billion euros (calendar and seasonally adjusted)
Current account according to calculations of the Deutsche Bundesbank, March 2021
30.2 billion euros
WIESBADEN – In March 2021, German exports were up 1.2% and imports 6.5% on a calendar and seasonally adjusted basis compared with February 2021. Based on provisional data, the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) also reports that, after calendar and seasonal adjustment, exports were 0.9% lower and imports 6.7% higher than in February 2020, the month before restrictions were imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic in Germany.
Germany exported goods to the value of 126.5 billion euros and imported goods to the value of 105.9 billion euros in March 2021. Compared with March 2020, exports increased by 16.1%, and imports by 15.5% in March 2021. These are the highest nominal values ever recorded for monthly exports and imports in foreign trade statistics.
The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of 20.5 billion euros in March 2021. In March 2020 the surplus of the foreign trade balance amounted to 17.2 billion euros. The calendar and seasonally adjusted surplus of March 2021 was 14.3 billion euros.
The German current account of the balance of payments showed a surplus of 30.2 billion euros in March 2021, which takes into account the balances of trade in goods (+23.3 billion euros), services (+1.3 billion euros), primary income (+10.0 billion euros) and secondary income (-4.5 billion euros). In March 2020, the German current account showed a surplus of 24.8 billion euros.
Trade with EU countries
In March 2021, Germany exported goods to the value of 67.5 billion euros to the Member States of the European Union (EU) and imported goods to the value of 57.7 billion euros from those countries. Compared with March 2020, exports to the EU countries increased by 21.2%, and imports from those countries by 18.4%. Goods to the value of 47.0 billion euros (+22.6%) were exported to the euro area countries in March 2021; the value of the goods imported from those countries was 39.4 billion euros (+16.2%). In March 2021, goods worth 20.4 billion euros (+18.1%) were exported to EU countries not belonging to the euro area, while the value of the goods imported from those countries was 18.3 billion euros (+23.6%).
Trade with non-EU countries
Exports of goods to countries outside the European Union (third countries) amounted to 59.0 billion euros in March 2021 and imports from those countries totalled 48.2 billion euros. Compared with March 2020, exports to third countries increased by 10.8% and imports from those countries by 12.2%.
Trade with the United Kingdom
Compared with the same month last year, exports to the United Kingdom fell by 13.2% to 6.5 billion euros in March 2021. German imports from the United Kingdom increased by 1.6% to 3.1 billion euros over the same period.
On 1 January 2021 the partnership agreement negotiated between the EU and the United Kingdom took provisional effect. Now that the United Kingdom has left the EU single market and the customs union, the withdrawal process is complete. 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 March 2021, exports to the People's Republic of China rose by 37.9% to 10.3 billion euros compared with March 2020. Exports to the United States increased by 8.8% to 11.1 billion euros.
In March 2021, most imports to Germany came from the People's Republic of China. The value of the goods imported from there was 11.7 billion euros (+46.6% on the same month of the previous year). Imports from the United States rose by 1.5% to 6.7 billion euros in March 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. To enable 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, also include a comparison with February 2020 or the 4th quarter of 2019.
| Item | March | January to March | February | March | January to March |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2020 | ||||
| 1 According to calculations of the Deutsche Bundesbank. | |||||
| Foreign trade | |||||
| 1 Exports (f.o.b.) | 126.5 | 332.6 | 107.9 | 108.9 | 324.7 |
| 2 Imports (c.i.f.) | 105.9 | 280.0 | 89.7 | 91.7 | 273.5 |
| 3 Foreign trade balance (1-2) | 20.5 | 52.6 | 18.2 | 17.2 | 51.2 |
| Transition to trade in goods 1 | |||||
| 4 Supplementary trade items | 2.7 | 3.3 | 0.2 | 0.9 | 1.3 |
| Current account balances 1 | |||||
| 5 Trade in goods (3+4) | 23.3 | 55.9 | 18.4 | 18.2 | 52.5 |
| 6 Services | 1.3 | 3.6 | 1.3 | -0.3 | -2.7 |
| 7 Primary income | 10.0 | 27.5 | 7.6 | 9.7 | 26.9 |
| 8 Secondary income | -4.5 | -20.6 | -8.7 | -2.8 | -14.4 |
| Current account (5+6+7+8) | 30.2 | 66.4 | 18.6 | 24.8 | 62.3 |
| Item | March 2021 | January to March 2021 | Percentage change from | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 2020 | January to March 2020 | |||
| billion euro | % | |||
| Total exports | 126.5 | 332.6 | 16.1 | 2.4 |
| including: | ||||
| EU Member States | 67.5 | 180.4 | 21.2 | 4.8 |
| Euro-zone | 47.0 | 125.6 | 22.6 | 4.7 |
| Non-euro-zone | 20.4 | 54.8 | 18.1 | 4.9 |
| Third countries | 59.0 | 152.2 | 10.8 | -0.3 |
| including: | ||||
| United Kingdom | 6.5 | 16.2 | -13.2 | -17.6 |
| Total imports | 105.9 | 280.0 | 15.5 | 2.4 |
| including: | ||||
| EU Member States | 57.7 | 151.7 | 18.4 | 4.5 |
| Euro-zone | 39.4 | 102.8 | 16.2 | 2.9 |
| Non-euro-zone | 18.3 | 48.9 | 23.6 | 8.2 |
| Third countries | 48.2 | 128.3 | 12.2 | -0.1 |
| including: | ||||
| United Kingdom | 3.1 | 7.5 | 1.6 | -27.7 |
| 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 | 111.2 | 0.5 | 92.9 | -1.4 | 93.2 | 1.6 |
| February | 109.2 | 0.3 | 112.5 | 1.2 | 88.9 | -2.4 | 91.0 | -2.3 | |
| March | 108.9 | -7.9 | 99.0 | -12.0 | 91.7 | -4.3 | 85.8 | -5.7 | |
| April | 75.7 | -31.1 | 75.7 | -23.6 | 72.3 | -21.6 | 72.1 | -16.0 | |
| May | 80.2 | -29.8 | 82.2 | 8.7 | 73.3 | -21.6 | 75.1 | 4.0 | |
| June | 96.0 | -9.5 | 94.8 | 15.2 | 80.6 | -9.9 | 80.3 | 7.0 | |
| July | 102.3 | -11.0 | 98.9 | 4.4 | 83.1 | -11.3 | 81.0 | 0.9 | |
| August | 91.3 | -10.2 | 101.9 | 3.0 | 79.4 | -6.7 | 86.8 | 7.2 | |
| 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 | 1.9 | 95.3 | 0.6 | 91.1 | 4.4 | |
| December | 101.0 | 3.0 | 107.3 | 0.3 | 85.7 | 3.3 | 90.8 | -0.2 | |
| 2021 | January | 98.2 | -7.9 | 109.1 | 1.7 | 84.4 | -9.2 | 88.1 | -3.0 |
| February | 107.9 | -1.2 | 110.2 | 1.0 | 89.7 | 0.9 | 91.3 | 3.6 | |
| March | 126.5 | 16.1 | 111.5 | 1.2 | 105.9 | 15.5 | 97.2 | 6.5 | |
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.
