German exports fall, industrial production rises in November

German exports unexpectedly fell while industrial output ticked up in November, official data showed on Friday.

- 

German exports fell by 2.5 per cent in November compared with the previous month, dragged down by declines in shipments to other European Union countries and the US, according to the federal statistics office.

Meanwhile, industrial production rose 0.8 per cent in November, marking its third consecutive monthly increase against expectations of a 0.4 per cent drop.

German industrial orders climbed 5.6 percent on the previous month in November, driven by large-scale orders, data showed on Thursday.

With overall imports up 0.8 per cent on a calendarand seasonally-adjusted basis, Germany's trade surplus narrowed to €13.1 billion ($15.26 billion) in November from €17.2 billion in October and €20.0 billion in November 2024.

Meanwhile German exporters should prepare for continued weakness in 2026 in their two largest markets, the United States and China, with little prospect of recovery, the BGA trade association said.

"We do not see a turnaround, but at best a brief respite," said BGA president Dirk Jandura.

Exports to the United States (US) are projected to have fallen more than 7 per cent to just under 150 billion euros ($156 billion) in 2025, while exports to China have contracted even more sharply, dropping IO per cent to 81 billion euros, GTAI figures show.