Turbocharged Germany

Turbocharged Germany

by J.O.S. | LONDON

THE machine that sputtered badly during the slump in world trade is now firing on all cylinders. Figures released on August 13th showed that the German economy grew by 2.2% (an annualised rate of close to 9%) in the three months to the end of June, well above even the most optimistic forecasts. The German figures, the best since reunification almost two decades ago, meant that the euro-area economy had a good quarter, too. GDP in the 16-country block rose at an annualised rate of 4%—much faster than in America and only a bit shy of surprisingly strong growth figures in Britain.

The success of the euro-area’s largest economy owed a lot to a surge in exports (much of it to emerging markets) and to investment by firms at home looking to upgrade and expand their capital stock to meet that demand. Germany’s talent for bespoke engineering and sleek cars fits well with the needs of fast-industrialising countries and their new middle classes. China is a prized customer for the German firms that supply kit for power plants and other infrastructure projects. Small producers of niche capital goods have also seen a surge in orders. German cars have been selling well to affluent consumers in emerging markets. Sales of luxury Mercedes cars to China tripled in the year to July. Sales to India more than doubled. Other carmakers, such as VW and BMW, have prospered too.

This surge in new business has been good for jobs. Unemployment in Germany has been steadily falling, in contrast to the trend in the rest of the euro zone—and America. Firms used a short-time working scheme and flexible hours to keep hold of workers when demand was weak. Many of the workers whose hours were cut have been drawn back into full-time work far more quickly than firms had dared hope. Unemployment in Germany is now lower than it was when the crisis began.

It seems almost strange that the euro-area economy was so strong at a time when a sovereign-debt crisis and regional imbalances seemed to threaten the single currency’s very existence. The GDP figures show that the latter problem has not gone away. Countries with strong ties to Germany’s export machine, such as Austria and the Netherlands, posted strong growth. The figures from France were solid, too (if based more on consumer spending than exports). But in Spain and Portugal GDP rose by a feeble 0.2% in the second quarter. Greece’s economy shrank by 1.5% (see chart).

That will not worry the German firms whose focus is increasingly Asia and Latin America. Nor will American complaints that Germany is living off the spending of others and adding little to global demand have much impact. There are some signs that Germany's recovery is leading to more spending at home. The German statistical office said that consumer spending made a positive contribution to GDP. Some firms are already reporting skill shortages, which ought to be good for jobs, wages and (eventually) consumption. Even so, a more balanced recovery in Germany may yet be thwarted by fragile banks and by the inherent thrift of consumers. It is telling that Germany is one of the few places where sales of Mercedes cars have fallen this year.

The renewed hope in Europe contrasts with anxiety in America, where the economy is faltering and jobs growth is scarce. But just as these concerns are a warning to Europeans that the global recovery is not secure, the joy in Germany should comfort Americans. The fortunes of both economies are as tightly bound as ever. If German exporters are thriving, it means that someone out there in the world economy is still spending freely.