Germany’s trade surplus widens to €17.2 billion, U.S. exports drop

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Germany’s trade surplus widened to €17.2 billion in August, up from an upwardly revised €16.3 billion in July, and surpassing expectations of €15.2 billion.

This marked the largest trade surplus since May, as exports fell less than imports.

Exports unexpectedly fell for a second month as the value of shipments to the U.S. plunged to their lowest level in almost four years amid President Donald Trump's tariff campaign.

Total exports declined 0.5% in August from the previous month, the statistics office said.

The decline was driven by a 2.5% drop in sales to EU countries, while exports to non-EU countries rose 2.2%, despite a 2.5% decline in shipments to the US, affected by US tariffs.

Elsewhere, German automaker Porsche AG’s (OTCPK:POAHF [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/POAHF]) sales in China fell 21% during the third quarter as demand remained weak and local manufacturers dominated electric vehicles.

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Currency: (EUR:USD [https://seekingalpha.com/symbol/EUR:USD])

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