German 2009 exports post steepest fall since 1950: Statistics

FRANKFURT: German exports fell by 18.4 percent in 2009 from their level one year earlier, the sharpest drop since 1950, figures released on Tuesday by the national statistics office showed.

The total value of exports came to 803.2 billion euros (1.1 trillion dollars), while imports fell by 17.2 percent to 667.1 billion euros, the Destatis office said.

China overtook Germany last year as the world's leading exporter.