German exports fall more than forecast in May

German exports fell more than expected in May, due to weak demand from China, the US and European countries, data from the federal statistics office showed this week.

Exports fell by 3.6 per cent in May compared with the previous month, compared with the 1.9 per cent decrease forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll.

The foreign trade balance showed a surplus of 24.9 billion euros ($26.94 billion) in May, following 22.2 billion euros in April and 16.8 billion euros in May of the previous year.

Exports to EU countries dropped by 2.5 per cent in May on the month and exports to countries outside the EU declined by 4.9 per cent, the statistics office reported.

($1 = 0.9243 euros)