Germany’s imports prices declined at the weakest pace in four months during December, figures from Destatis showed Thursday.

The import price index fell 3.1 percent year-on-year following a 3.5 percent slump in November. Economists had forecast a 3 percent decline.

The latest drop was the smallest since August, when prices fell at the same pace.

Month-on-month, import prices were 1.2 percent lower in December, after a 0.2 percent drop in the previous month. Economists had forecast a 1.2 percent decline. The monthly fall was the biggest in four months.

For the full year 2015, import prices fell 2.6 percent after a 2.2 percent decline in the previous year. Prices decreased for a third straight year.

Excluding petroleum and related products, import prices decreased 0.9 percent annually in December. Month-on-month, prices declined 0.4 percent. In 2015, import prices rose 1.1 percent from the previous year.

Export prices, meanwhile, rose 0.2 percent year-on-year in December after a 0.3 percent increase in the previous month. On a month-on-month basis, export prices dropped 0.4 percent after a 0.1 percent gain in November. For full year 2015, export prices increased an average 0.9 percent.

The material has been provided by InstaForex Company – www.instaforex.com