Germany's trade surplus declined to €21.4 billion in December 2017 from €22.3 billion in the previous month, provisional data in seasonally- and calendar-adjusted terms showed.
Exports increased by 0.3% from November 2017 to €111.9 billion. Imports rose by 1.4% to €90.4 billion, the Federal Statistical Office said.
In unadjusted terms, exports and imports advanced by 3.9% and 5.0%, respectively, as the foreign trade balance showed a surplus of €18.2 billion.
The current account surplus in December 2017 stood at €27.8 billion, higher than the €27.2 billion surplus in November 2017 and the €24.9 billion surplus recorded in the year-ago period.
Exports to the European Union countries increased by 6.3% in 2017 from 2016, and imports from those countries jumped by 7.9%. Exports of goods to countries outside the EU amounted to €529.4 billion in 2017, while imports from those countries totaled €352.1 billion.
