Germany's merchandise exports grew unexpectedly in April led by strong demand from China amid the post-pandemic re-opening, but the rebound was not strong enough to ward off the worries surrounding the biggest euro area economy that slid into a technical recession in the first quarter in the backdrop of persistently high inflation.
Exports rose 1.2 percent month-on-month, following a revised 6.0 percent fall in March, preliminary data from the statistical office Destatis showed Monday. Economists were looking for a 2.5 percent decline. Imports, on the other hand, fell for a second month in a row, down 1.7 percent after a 5.5 percent slump in March. Economists had forecast a 1.0 percent decline. The external trade surplus grew to EUR 18.4 billion in April from EUR 14.9 billion in March. Economists had expected a surplus of EUR 16.0 billion.
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May 22, 2026 14:46 ET Minutes of the latest Fed policy session was the highlight of the week along with survey data on the U.S. housing market. In Europe, survey data signaled the trends in the euro area private sector. Further, consumer price inflation data from the U.K. was in focus. In Asia, various economic indicators from China drew attention to the health of the economy.