Germany declines in Q3 after gain in previous periods

Trade tensions with the US and emerging markets have weighed on export powerhouse Germany. [Photo: AFP]

Germany, Europe's largest economy and top exporter, went into reverse in the third quarter, shrinking 0.2 percent after a gain of 0.5 percent in the previous three months, official data showed Wednesday.

It was the first quarter-on-quarter fall in gross domestic product (GDP) since early 2015, federal statistics authority Destatis said, and worse than the 0.1 percent slip forecast by analysts.