BERLIN, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Industrial companies in Germany are concerned about the impact of the latest wave of COVID-19, and especially the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, on international trade, the Federation of German Industries (BDI) said on Wednesday.
"Companies are concerned that the worsening coronavirus situation could once again lead to restrictions on international logistics and cross-border supply chains," BDI President Siegfried Russwurm said in a statement.
The German government must ensure that the international exchange of goods for risk sectors in the European Union (EU) and between important international trading partners remains intact. The EU "should keep borders open in the single market," Russwurm said.
Germany exported goods worth 121.3 billion euros (137.5 billion U.S. dollars) in October, up 4.1 percent month-on-month and 8.1 percent year-on-year, according to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis).
At the same time, the country's exports to the EU increased 11.6 percent year-on-year and reached 66.7 billion euros. Exports to Germany's most important trading partners China and the United States increased by 8.5 percent and 11.4 percent, respectively, according to Destatis.
Russwurm stressed that Germany's national and state governments should use the coming weeks to implement targeted containment measures to "avoid long-lasting and irreparable damage to society and the economy." (1 euro = 1.13 U.S. dollar) Enditem
