Berlin - Despite a major challenge from China, Germany will defend its title as the world's export champion in the coming 12 months, a leading trade official said in Berlin Wednesday.


German Federation of German Wholesale and Trade (BGA) president Anton Boerner told the Deutsche-Presse Agentur (dpa) that the slump in the dollar combined with slowing US growth would hurt Chinese trade more than Germany

As a result, he said: 'I even believe that we will remain the world's number one exporter in 2009.'

Boerner's optimism that Germany's export machine will continue to hold its own against the growing might of China's trading power comes despite the recent surge in the euro and signs that the global economy is losing momentum.

However, strong demand from the world's emerging economies resulted in German exports rising by 1.2 per cent in April to produce a solid year-on-year increase of 13.9 per cent, figures released Monday showed.

Drawn up by Germany's statistics office, the figures also showed Germany's trade surplus widening to 18.7 billion euros (30 billion dollars) in April from 16.6 billion euros in March

In the meantime, underscoring the major role played by demand from emerging economies in shoring up German exports, the statistics office said exports to nations outside the EU rose by 18.4 per cent in April compared with the same month in 2007.

During the same period, German exports to its partners in the 27- member EU rose 11.6 per cent. Exports to the 15-member eurozone jumped 10.8 per cent over the year.

Boerner expressed surprise at the latest export data, but added that fresh data was needed before it was possible to conclude that the figures were an aberration.

A change at the top of the world exporters' league could be expected once the US manages to pull itself out of the economic trough it its has slipped into.

'We should be happy if America emerges this year from a mild recession,' said Boerner.

גרמניה ממשיכה להיות אלופת העולם בייצוא גם בשנת 2009 למרות ההתחזקות של האירו, ולמרות המשבר העולמי.