A boost for German exports as data released from the Federal Statistics office showed seasonally adjusted exports rose 1.5 percent on the month. They had dipped 2.1 percent in January when experts blamed the cold weather for the drop. The rebound was slightly up on some forecasts which had predicted an increase of 1.0 percent.

The monthly data meant exports rose by 3.9 percent in February year-on-year. Based on provisional data it meant Europe’s economic powerhouse shipped goods abroad worth 76.5 billion euros in that month.

But imports rose at a faster pace raising questions about whether trade will support growth in Europe’s largest economy gong forward. The rise was 1.8 percent, a stronger increase than the acceleration expected by economists.