Preliminary figures released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Monday show that in September 2026, Germany’s exports rose by 7.7 percent and imports increased by 8.7 percent when compared to the same month last year. Furthermore, after adjusting for seasonal and calendar effects, exports grew by 2.0 percent and imports increased by 4.2 percent compared to August.
In September, exports from Germany totaled €141.1 billion, while imports amounted to €125.5 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of €15.6 billion. This surplus was lower than the €17.9 billion recorded in August, and marginally higher than the €15.5 billion seen in September 2025.
Looking at the European Union, exports to EU member states reached €80.8 billion, with imports from these countries standing at €62.9 billion. Compared to August, exports to EU states rose by 3.5 percent, while imports from them increased by 4.9 percent. Specifically, exports to Eurozone countries amounted to €55.8 billion (a 2.4 percent increase), and imports from these countries were €41.5 billion (up 3.8 percent). Exporters also sent €25.0 billion to EU countries outside the Eurozone-a significant 6.1 percent jump-while receiving €21.4 billion from them (a 7.0 percent rise).
Trade with non-EU countries (Third States) resulted in €60.3 billion worth of exports and €62.7 billion worth of imports in September 2026. Relative to August, exports to Third States climbed by 0.1 percent, and imports from these states rose by 3.6 percent.
In terms of destination countries, the United States received the majority of German exports in September. Exports to the US were €13.4 billion, a 0.5 percent decrease from August 2026. However, compared to September 2025, US exports were 10.3 percent higher. Meanwhile, exports to the United Kingdom fell by 4.7 percent month-on-month, totaling €7.3 billion, and exports to the People’s Republic of China dropped by 5.2 percent to €5.5 billion.
China was the largest source of imports during September 2026, accounting for €17.3 billion in trade. This represented a 1.6 percent increase from the previous month. Other significant import figures include a 6.2 percent rise in imports from the United States, reaching €8.8 billion, and a 1.0 percent increase in imports from the United Kingdom, which hit €3.3 billion.
