2018.05.0900:03:00UTC+00German Industrial Output Rebounds in March

A better-than-expected rebound in German industrial output in March and growth in exports in the same month helped ease concerns that growth in the eurozone's largest economy had come to a halt at the beginning of 2018.

According to the Federal Statistics Office, industrial production grew 1.0 percent on the month, the strongest increase since November.

Seasonally adjusted exports increased 1.7 percent while imports fell 0.9 percent, widening Germany's trade surplus to 22 billion euros ($26.20 billion) in March, the data showed.

In the full first quarter, German industrial output edged up 0.1 percent on the quarter, the Economy Ministry said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized Germany's export strength, arguing that U.S. import tariffs would protect American manufacturing jobs and reduce the U.S. trade deficit with Germany and other EU countries.

The strong output and export figures brought some relief after weak data for January and February pointed to a massive slowdown in the first quarter.

However, due to the first two disappointing months, data on overall gross domestic product growth in the first quarter, due next week, are likely to come in weaker than the 0.6 percent recorded in the final three months of 2017.

A string of unexpectedly weak economic data had pointed to a cooling in the eurozone economy as a whole, possibly making it more difficult for the European Central Bank to begin scaling back its unprecedented monetary stimulus later this year.