John Whelan: Sluggish German economy hits Irish exporters

German firms are failing at an alarming rate as the industrial powerhouse is hammered by tariffs, costs, and competition

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has promised a sharp rise in infrastructure spending and defence spending to fuel growth as the country recorded zero growth in the third quarter.

The German economy has run into stagnation again, with zero growth in the third quarter, figures from the EU statistics agency show.

The impact has been felt by Ireland’s businesses, who experienced a 30% fall in exports to the market over the period from January to August.