German exports fall in November

German exports fell in November as trade with its biggest commercial partners, including China, slowed, according to official data released on Thursday.

Europe's largest economy exported €135.1bn worth of goods, a 0.3% fall on September, according to seasonally adjusted figures from federal statistics agency Destatis.

Figures for October were revised upwards, showing an 0.8% increase on the previous month, instead of the 0.6% fall previously announced.

Outgoing trade with EU countries fell by 0.4% to €73bn, driven by the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and high energy prices.

Exports to non-EU countries fell by 0.1%, while exports to China fell by 1.5% to €8.8bn as surging Covid infections in that country hit trade.

German imports fell by 3.3% €124.4bn, with a 7.8% drop in goods from China.