BERLIN, Feb 8 (Reuters) - Germany’s trade surplus fell in 2017 for the first time in eight years, data showed on Thursday, in a further sign that vibrant domestic demand is sucking in more imports and slowly re-balancing the country’s export-oriented economy. Both exports and imports were up by 2.5% in December 2017 in euro terms, compared to the same month of the previous year, according to a first estimate of monthly data for the external trade in goods released by the Central Statistical Office (KSH). Japan had a trade surplus for the second straight year at ¥4.93 trillion, though it marked a 10.8 percent year-on-year drop as exports rose 11.9 percent to ¥77.20 trillion while imports grew 13.9 percent to ¥72.26 trillion. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

The exports figure beat expectations of a 1.0 percent fall while imports also came in stronger than the forecast 0.5 percent decrease. In January, China's trade surplus with the US dropped to $21.9 billion, from $25.6 billion in December.
Germany's trade surplus shrank in 2017 for the first time since 2009, reflecting strong domestic demand.