German economy picking up steam, but trade a risk - economy ministry

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German economy picked up steam in May and indicators point to a stronger performance in the second quarter than the first, the Economy Ministry said in its monthly report on Friday.

"Apart from the sword of Damocles of international trade policy, the outlook is positive," the ministry said. "The external risks and uncertainty in the economy remain high, however."

(Writing by Paul Carrel, editing by Thomas Escritt)