News: German trade with India soars

(RTR 20/04/2006) Berlin - German trade with India rose significantly in 2005, with exports from Germany soaring 27.7 percent from the previous year to 4.2 billion euros ($5.18 billion), the Federal Statistics Office said on Thursday.

Germany's trade surplus with India was 806 million euros last year, up from 332 million euros in 2004, the statistics office said in a statement.

Since 2000, German exports to the Indian subcontinent have doubled, the statement said.

In 2005, machinery and chemical products accounted for 33.8 percent and 15.4 percent of all German exports to India respectively.

Imports from India rose 14.8 percent to 3.4 billion euros. Clothing and chemical products were the most heavily imported goods from India to Germany.

Globally, India is in 36th place as a German export target and 31st place as an importer to the world's third largest economy, the statistics office said.