21/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - According to the Munich economic research institute IFO, Germany was the world's second biggest exporter in 2004 (after the United States). It was the country in the world exporting the highest value of goods (EUR 909.3 bn) ahead of the United States (EUR 800 bn). Based on projections for December 2004 (the figures have not come in yet), Germany's service exports in 2004 are expected to total USD 137 bn (USD 338 bn for the US). Germany's total exports in 2004,, USD 1.046 bn, were 8% lower than the United States' total exports (USD 1.139 bn) but this is distorted by the hike in the euro compared with the US dollar. Eurostat comments that Germany is the EU Member State with by far the biggest trade surplus for the first ten months of 2004 (EUR 134.3 bn, see other article).