[Stringmine]

Novice,

It was interesting to read the devastating analysis from the Bundesbank of how the single currency has failed to boost Germany's trade with the rest of the Euro zone - in fact, it's grown at a much slower rate than trade with the rest of the world. The introduction of the single currency was widely believed to increase trade between different members of the Euro area by reducing the transaction costs and eliminating exchange rate uncertainty. Their report even questions the importance of the single market; "... boosting and redirecting trade (is) not immediately identifiable for Germany" it says.