Posted on 02/05/2020 9:34:40 PM PST by Berlin_Freeper
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany’s current account surplus remained the world’s largest last year despite trade tensions, the Ifo economic institute said on Monday, in an estimate likely to renew criticism of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s fiscal policies.
The Ifo calculations, reported exclusively by Reuters ahead of publication by the economic institute, put Germany’s current account surplus — which measures the flow of goods, services and investments — at some $293 billion in 2019.
It is the fourth successive year that Germany’s current account surplus has been the world’s largest, with Japan’s the next biggest at $194 billion, according to Ifo calculations.
The International Monetary Fund and the European Commission have for years urged Germany, Europe’s largest economy, to do more to lift domestic demand and imports as a way to reduce global economic imbalances and stimulate growth elsewhere.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
Is this a trade surplus? Or more complicated?
- Germany’s current account surplus — which measures the flow of goods, services and investments — at some $293 billion in 2019.
An overall accounting of money flow including hard trade items.
Let the Bundeswehr defend Germany
Yeah sorta like a trade surplus (one part of “account surplus”) but a bit more complicated: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/current-account-surplus.asp
And the article is talking like it is a bad thing...sounds like a good thing to me at 1st blush.
Why do they use such nebulous and misleading terms like “current account surplus “ when they mean “trade surplus”, or “quantitative easing” when they mean “money printing”?
A current account surplus includes all money gains, not just those from trade but also net earnings on services and net gains from financial and governmental transactions. It has been described as a nation’s checking account.
How much does Germany pay annually for Russian gas?
Couple of years ago, it was estimated 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas flowed from Russia into Germany. Once this new ‘line’ is accomplished...it’ll increase to probably double that amount.
That’s nearly as much as they owe NATO each year.
40% of it to be exact.
And it’s STILL not enough to cover their current deficit, by treaty, of what they owe.
In light of this I see no reason for the US to have ANY assets there and we should leave NATO entirely. They can afford it.
Well good for them! They can now defend themselves and don’t need the USA and they can also give more to worthless NATO.
Germany’s position as the strongest country in Europe shows the nonsense that the free traitors spew about how great it is for the US to have a large trade deficit as the lie that it is.
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