Overall exports were down 0.5% from the previous month, according to provisional data from federal statistics agency Destatis.

Analysts surveyed by financial data firm FactSet had expected an increase of 0.3%.

Exports to the US were down 2.5%, dropping to €10.9 billion (US$12.7 billion), their lowest level since November 2021.

Compared to August 2024, exports to the world’s top economy were down about 20%.

US President Donald Trump and the EU in July struck a deal setting most tariffs on EU goods at 15% – far higher than before Trump’s return to power this year.

The levies are hitting export power Germany particularly hard, as the US is a major destination for its goods, ranging from cars to pharmaceuticals.

They have added to headwinds for Europe’s biggest economy, which is struggling to recover from a long downturn due to a manufacturing slump and weak demand in key markets.

In total, Germany exported goods worth €129.7 billion in August.

Imports dropped 1.3% on the previous month to a value of €112.5 billion, with most coming from China.

The trade surplus widened to €17.2 billion.