* 3rd consecutive monthly rise in exports
* Import drop over twice as large as export rise
(Adds background, economist comment)
By Brian Rohan
BERLIN, Jan 8 (Reuters) - German exports rose more than expected and imports fell in November, pushing the country's trade surplus to its highest level in 17 months in a boost to fourth quarter growth, data showed on Friday.
Adjusted for seasonal swings, exports were 17.2 billion euros ($24.7 billion) higher than imports in November, making the trade surplus the highest since June 2008, preliminary Federal Statistics Office figures showed.
"The surplus has really widened which means there will be a big boost to growth from net trade in the fourth quarter," said economist Sebastian Wanke from Dekabank.
Exports rose for a third consecutive month, increasing by 1.6 percent month-on-month to 70.6 billion euros, while imports fell by 5.9 percent to 53.4 billion euros.
The figures compared to an expected 0.5 percent rise in
exports and 1.2 percent increase in imports, which economists
polled by Reuters last week had forecast would put the November
trade surplus at 12.4 billion euros.
The higher-than-expected rise in exports highlighted a global upswing in demand for products from Germany, which has been the world's biggest exporter of goods since 2003 although China may have overtaken it in 2009.
With the larger part of November's surplus caused by an unexpected fall in imports, the trade data pointed to other weak links in the recovery of Europe's largest economy.
"The surprise is with imports, which have collapsed by almost six percent," said Dirk Schumacher from Goldman Sachs. "That's a sign that domestic demand is getting weaker."
Latest manufacturing orders figures for Germany suggested growth in foreign demand is not guaranteed.
Weaker-than-expected industrial data released on Thursday showed foreign orders declined in November, suggesting the momentum of the economic recovery may ease in 2010. (Additional reporting by Dave Graham; editing by Chris Pizzey)