Export economy
German exports: sentiment improves, upward trend fails to materialize
Sentiment in the German export industry brightens slightly: Ifo export expectations rise to -1.2 points in January 2026. The automotive and electrical industries in particular expect exports to grow.
The mood in the German export industry brightened slightly in January. The ifo export expectations rose from minus 3.0 points in December to minus 1.2 points. "Even though companies are less skeptical about their foreign business, uncertainty remains high," says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of ifo Surveys. There are no clear signs of an upward trend for the first quarter of 2026 so far.
A look at the individual sectors shows the ambivalence of the situation: the automotive industry and manufacturers of electrical equipment are planning growing exports and are somewhat more confident about foreign business. In metal production and processing, the pessimism that has persisted for years is fading noticeably - export expectations have reached their highest level since February 2022, with positive and negative assessments currently at the same level.
The beverage industry continues to anticipate a stable, expansive export environment. By contrast, manufacturers of clothing, food and printed products are less optimistic and expect exports to decline.
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