Germany Boosts Exports to Record High

German exports, which grew 1.5% month over month in February, increased 0.9% to a record €98.9 billion in March, according to Destatis, the country's statistics office.

March marked Germany's third consecutive month of export gains. Imports grew 1.2% to a record €81.5 billion.

Germany shipments to other countries in the eurozone shrank 3.6% and fell 2.8% in the broader EU. Exports outside the EU jumped 6.1%.

Analysts say rising demand from the U.S. and Asia probably helped the German economy to grow slightly in the first quarter of 2012 after shrinking 0.2% in the three months ended Dec. 31.