German exports to countries outside the EU recovered in August, mainly due to booming business with the most important customer, the USA.
Exports to these so-called third countries grew by 4 percent compared to the previous month, as the Federal Statistical Office announced on Wednesday.
In July there had been a decline after three increases in a row.
All in all, exports to countries outside the EU, which account for almost half of all German exports, totaled 60.3 billion euros after calendar and seasonal adjustments.
Compared to the same month last year, unadjusted exports even grew by 21.2 percent.
"This increase in value should also be seen against the background of the sharp rise in foreign trade prices," the statisticians explained.
The USA remained the most important customer for German exporters.
Goods worth 13.4 billion euros were delivered there last month – an increase of 42.3 percent compared to the same month last year.
Exports to the People's Republic of China totaled 8.9 billion euros, which corresponds to an increase of 17.2 percent.
Deliveries to Great Britain increased by 22.6 percent to 5.8 billion euros.
Meanwhile, Russia is losing weight after Western sanctions as a result of the war against Ukraine.
Exports there collapsed in August by 45.1 percent to 1.2 billion euros.
This puts Russia in tenth place among the most important destinations for German exports outside the EU.
In February, when the war began, Russia was fifth.
The Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW) expects that the negative effects of high global inflation, rising interest rates and the significantly worsening financial framework conditions, particularly in many emerging countries, will continue to dampen demand for German export goods in the coming months.
However, German companies are still sitting on record-high order backlogs, as the processing of orders was delayed due to material shortages.
They can now reduce it, especially since there have recently been signs of an easing in the supply bottlenecks.