German exports rebounded in August thanks to strong demand from the United States, official data showed on Wednesday, but analysts warned that the outlook for Europe's top economy remained gloomy.

Germany exported €133.1 billion worth of goods in August, up 1.6 per cent month-on-month, according to seasonally-adjusted figures from federal statistics agency Destatis. In July, exports had plunged by 2.1 per cent.

The increase beat analyst expectations and was mainly driven by a 12 per cent jump in US demand for "made in Germany" goods.

The increase beat analyst expectations and was mainly driven by a 12% jump in US demand for "made in Germany" goods

But shipments to fellow European Union countries fell, as the continent grapples with soaring inflation and skyrocketing energy prices in the wake of Russia's war in Ukraine.

Higher global prices and a weaker euro pushed up the cost of German imports in August, which rose by 3.4 per cent to €131.9 billion, narrowing the country's trade surplus to €1.2 billion.

"The war in Ukraine has succeeded in delivering what nothing else had managed before: letting the notorious German trade surplus disappear," said ING bank economist Carsten Brzeski. "Unfortunately, it is not a 'good' disappearing of the trade surplus, driven by stronger domestic demand but rather a 'bad' disappearing, driven by high energy prices and structurally weaker exports."

Germany's economy, traditionally a driver of European growth, is expected to fall into recession and shrink by 0.4 per cent in 2023, according to the country's leading economic institutes.