Germany's import prices fell by 1.1 per cent year-on-year in May 2025, driven primarily by a sharp drop in energy costs, data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) showed on Monday. Compared to April 2025, import prices declined by 0.7 per cent. Energy prices were the biggest factor behind the annual decrease, falling 14.6 per cent from May 2024. Crude oil, hard coal, and petroleum products were significantly cheaper, while electricity and natural gas were up 1.7 and 0.5 per cent, respectively, year on year. Excluding energy, import prices rose by 0.4 per cent from a year earlier but slipped 0.3 per cent from the previous month. Import prices for consumer goods rose 2.7 per cent annually, driven by food products such as orange juice, beef, and dairy. Agricultural goods also saw a 4.2 per cent yearly increase, with green coffee up 50 per cent. On the export side, prices rose by 1.0 per cent year-on-year, unchanged from April. Consumer goods and capital goods were the key drivers, with coffee exports jumping 55.1 per cent from May 2024. Energy exports dropped 4.3 per cent year-on-year, with petroleum products down 15.6 per cent despite a 10.7 per cent rise in natural gas prices. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
