German Exports Up 3.8 Percent In September

GEORGE FREY

FRANKFURT (AP) — German exports rose 3.8 percent on the month in September, official data showed Monday, a performance that beat economists' expectations and underlined the improving outlook for Europe's biggest economy.

Still, exports remained 18.8 percent below the levels of a year earlier, the Federal Statistical Office said. Imports rose 5.8 percent on the month, but were down 16.3 percent on the year.

Germany exported goods valued at euro70 billion ($105 billion) in September, while imports were worth euro59.4 billion.

Germany's economy returned to modest growth in the second quarter following a deep recession. Preliminary third-quarter figures are due later this week and are expected to show further growth.

The month-on-month rise in exports, which traditionally have powered Germany's economy, beat economists' forecast of a 2.5 percent increase.

Andreas Rees, an economist at UniCredit in Munich, said it was the biggest monthly export upswing since the end of 2000, and that the coming months also look bright.