Germany sets monthly export record — €139.3 billion in June 2026
Preliminary data from the Federal Statistical Office show the highest seasonally adjusted monthly exports on record, while imports rose faster.
Germany's exports reached a new monthly high in June 2026, with goods valued at €139.3 billion (272 billion MKD), according to preliminary figures from the Federal Statistical Office. That figure was 0.9% higher than in May and 6.6% above June of last year.
Statisticians said the June result — after calendar and seasonal adjustment — represents the largest monthly export volume recorded so far. The milestone came despite tensions linked to the US‑Israeli attack on Iran that weighed on global markets.
Thomas Gitzel, chief economist at VP Bank, noted that exports have risen in every month this year except January and called the uninterrupted stretch of growth unusually long for recent times. He also flagged a fall in deliveries to the United States as worrying.
Imports into Germany rose even more strongly than exports: they climbed 4.4% from May to €123.9 billion (242 billion MKD), a year‑on‑year increase of 8.4%. Nevertheless, that import total remains below the record level recorded in November 2022.
Regional patterns and the China imbalance
Most German goods in June were shipped to the United States, at €12.1 billion (23 billion MKD), but that was 14.2% less than in May — a decline Gitzel described as worrying. Trade with other European countries stayed broadly stable; exports to Europe were 1.3% higher than in May, while trade with the United Kingdom showed notable growth.
The trade gap with China widened further. German exports to China fell by 0.3% to €6.2 billion (12 billion MKD), while imports from China rose 9.1% to €16.5 billion (32 billion MKD). As a result, China’s trade surplus with Germany reached almost $27 billion (45 billion MKD) in the first seven months of the year. In Germany there is growing concern that intensifying Chinese competition is eroding market share in key sectors such as the automotive and machinery industries, and that Chinese firms are becoming stronger competitors on global markets.
Photo: Sir James / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0 de)
