German exports fell by 1.4 percent compared to the previous year to 1,562.1 billion euros. December was particularly bad – not good for the outlook.
Exports to the member states of the European Union (EU) fell by 5.5 percent. Business in China even shrank by 7.9 percent to 7.5 billion euros, and exports to the United Kingdom fell by 4.3 percent. Many central banks have raised their key interest rates sharply in the fight against high inflation, which makes loans for investments in German export hits significantly more expensive.