Exports from Germany plunged in August by their largest volume since the height of the financial crisis, and leading institutes slashed forecasts for growth. The figures fuelled debate on whether Berlin is doing enough to prop up the domestic and European economies.
Exports slumped by 5.8 per cent in August, data from the Federal Statistics Office showed last week, the latest sign that Europe’s largest economy is faltering amid broader euro zone weakness and crises abroad which have dented confidence and delayed German firms’ investment plans.
The German Federal Statistics Office said late-falling summer holidays in some German states had contributed to the fall in both exports and imports, but the figures still painted a gloomy picture for Germany following steep drops in industrial orders and output data earlier in the week.