German exports rose 0.5% in March compared with the previous month despite the impact of the war in Iran, according to official figures released on Friday.
Exports were also up 1.9% compared with March 2025, the Federal Statistical Office said. The figures are adjusted for calendar and seasonal effects.
Imports rose 5.1% compared to February and 7.2% year-on-year.
Exports worth €135.8 billion ($159.5 billion) were set against imports worth €121.5 billion, leaving a trade surplus of €14.3 billion in March, down from €19.6 billion in February.
The United States remained the most important foreign market, despite a decline in German goods sold there. Exports to the US worth €11.2 billion represented a fall of 7.9% compared with the previous month, down 21.4% against March 2025.
Exports to China also fell by 1.8%. German exporters found more customers within the European Union (up 3.4% since February) and in the United Kingdom (up 3.2%).
The Iran war has caused uncertainty in the German economy, dashing hopes of a clear upturn. Higher oil prices caused by fighting in the Middle East are pushing up the cost of transporting goods, which hits Germany as an export nation particularly hard.
The government has halved its growth forecast for this year to 0.5%.
The latest tariff threats from US President Donald Trump are also increasing the risk that a trade conflict between the EU and the US, which was initially defused in the summer of 2025, could flare up again.
German exports rose sharply in February after a weak start to the year. In 2025, exporters recorded growth for the first time in two years, thanks to a strong December, despite the tariff dispute with Trump.
For 2026, the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) said it now expects German exports to stagnate rather than grow by the previously forecast 1.0%, owing to the Iran war.
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