Germany expects growth to slow after strong Q1

Berlin

GERMAN economic growth is likely to slow after a robust start to the year, expanding at a slower pace for the rest of 2016 as foreign trade cools, the finance ministry and central bank said on Monday.

Europe's largest economy grew 0.7 per cent between January and March, its strongest quarterly rate in two years, as soaring private consumption, higher construction investment and state spending on migrants more than offset weak foreign trade.