German exports post big fall in March, trade drags on Q1

BERLIN: German exports posted their biggest fall in nearly a year in March and imports also dipped as the crisis in Ukraine and a slowdown in China weighed, narrowing the trade surplus and confirming trade was a drag on growth at the start of 2014.

Figures from the Federal Statistics Office showed seasonally-adjusted exports slipped 1.8% on the month, their second consecutive fall, and imports dipped 0.9 %, pushing the trade surplus down to 14.8 billion euros.