Trade
Struggling German Economy Gets ‘Ray of Hope’ as Exports Jump
- Foreign sales increase 6.3% in January, economist est. 1.5%
- Trade surplus widened to €27.5 billion — a likely record
Shipping containers at Hamburg port in Germany.
Photographer: Dominik Reipka/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
German exports jumped at the beginning of the year, a sign that the industrial weakness that’s weighed on Europe’s biggest economy might be easing.
Sales abroad rose 6.3% in January from the previous month, far exceeding all estimate in a Bloomberg survey. Imports also increased more than expected, though the trade surplus still widened to €27.5 billion ($30 billion) — a likely record.