Well, it's not exactly a new issue is it? Germany has been Europe's leading exporter for a long time.

Is he right?  Are capital goods the primary if not only reason that Germany is exporting so little compared to France?

Are you sure that's what you mean?

Germany would be mistaken to believe itself immunized against a strong euro, for it has had a virtual monopoly on exports of capital goods [biens d'équipement] since the end of the 19th century.  This is short term thinking, since China is very quickly going to be producing goods at a better price.

True, in part, although not so far. But that's the trigger for a larger discussion, which doesn't answer the question in the diary.

I'd like to ask about the assumptions implicit in the question though. What else is there? Financial goods, service industries. And?

As a meta-note, Jerome a Paris might be doing better than Johan von Berlin in the banking trade, but I don't know how much better, but off hand it's not that much (relative to the figures you're quoting.)