Press release No. 526 of 12 December 2022

• Total goods exports increased 11.4% on the same month a year earlier
• Exports to the United States rose 26.7% on October 2021

WIESBADEN – Germany exported goods to the total value of 135.3 billion euros in October 2022, which was a 11.4% increase compared with October 2021. Exports to Russia dropped by 59.5% to 1.0 billion euros over that period as a consequence of the war in Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). In contrast, exports to the United States, the most important destination of German exports, increased by 26.7% to 13.8 billion euros. The most important goods exported to the United States were motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers to the value of 3.5 billion euros (+35.4% on October 2021) and machinery to the value of 2.2 billion euros (+4.5%). Other important trading partners in terms of exports were France (10.1 billion euros; +15.2%) and the Netherlands (9.6 billion euros; +9.7%).

Goods to the total value of 130.1 billion euros were imported to Germany in October 2022. This was an increase of 19.4% compared with the same month of the preceding year. The most important trading partner in imports was China; the value of imports from there rose by 27.4% to 17.3 billion euros. The value of imports from Russia was down 38.5% to 1.8 billion euros. The decrease would have been larger without the price increases recorded especially in the energy sector. In volume terms, imports from Russia fell by 63.7% compared with October 2021. Mineral oil and natural gas imports from Russia were down 53.2% to 0.7 billion euros in value terms and 65.1% to 1.4 million tonnes in volume terms. Nevertheless, mineral oil and natural gas remained the most important goods imported from Russia. Other important goods were coke and refined petroleum products (+95.3% to 0.6 billion euros) and metal products (-58.1% to 0.2 billion euros).

Germany’s foreign trade balance (exports minus imports) amounted to +5.2 billion euros in October 2022 (October 2021: +12.5 billion euros). In trade with Russia, more goods were imported from Russia than exported there in value terms. In October 2022, the import surplus with Russia was 0.8 billion euros. In October 2021 it had been 0.5 billion euros. In trade with the United States, an export surplus of 5.7 billion euros was recorded in Obtained 2022. In October 2021 it had been +4.8 billion euros.

More information:

All detailed results on German foreign trade in reference month October 2022 are available in the GENESIS-Online database (tables 51000).

Foreign trade results are available also in the Dashboard Germany (www.dashboard-deutschland.de). This data portal of the Federal Statistical Office combines up-to-date indicators of official statistics and from other data providers on the topics of economy and finance as well as health and mobility. A tool also available there is the Economic Pulse Monitor (Pulsmesser für die Wirtschaft) (only in german). It can be used for real-time monitoring of the economic development.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the related sanctions have an impact on many parts of the economy and society. We have compiled data and information on the subject for you on a special webpage (only in german).