German exports 1.5 percent lower in February
German exports 1.5 percent lower on the month in February, adding to mixed economic signals
BERLIN (AP) -- German exports declined by 1.5 percent in February compared with the previous month, adding to mixed signals about Europe's biggest economy.
The decline reported Tuesday by the Federal Statistical Office canceled out a 1.3 percent gain the previous month. Germany exported goods and services worth 90.4 billion euros ($117.5 billion), a figure adjusted for calendar and seasonal effects.
In year-on-year terms, exports were down 2.8 percent. Demand in other euro area countries, several of which are in recession, led that decline with a drop of 4.1 percent.
Germany's economy is widely believed to have grown in the first quarter after shrinking by a quarterly rate of 0.6 percent in the last three months of 2012. Industrial orders rebounded more strongly than expected in February, reinforcing that expectation.
