In August, China's exports grew at their fastest pace in nearly 18 months, rising by 8.7% year-on-year. This exceeded expectations and marked a sharp rebound compared to July's 7% growth. The acceleration seems to reflect Chinese manufacturers rushing out orders ahead of anticipated tariffs from several trading partners, including the U.S. and the European Union.
Germany's inflation rate has fallen to its lowest level in more than three years. The latest data for August shows inflation at 2%, down from 2.6% in July. This is a notable decline, particularly given that inflation was over 10% in parts of Europe just a year ago. Germany’s energy prices fell by 5.1% year-on-year, largely driving this deceleration, as the country continues to benefit from lower global oil and gas prices.
On the downside, food prices in Germany continued to rise, marking a 1.5% increase from a year ago.