German imports unexpectedly fell in April while exports were unchanged, propelling the trade surplus of Europe’s biggest economy to a fresh monthly record despite weaker demand from emerging markets such as China.
The overall solid trade data, published by the Federal Statistics Office on Thursday, are likely to stir up a debate about how Germany’s relatively strong exports are continuing to fuel global economic imbalances.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have for years urged Germany to step up public and private investment in infrastructure to reduce its current account surplus.
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