BERLIN (AP) — The German government has trimmed its economic growth forecast this year to 2.3 percent, though it says the outlook remains good and is predicting that growth next year will be almost as strong.

The forecast presented Wednesday is slightly lower than the government's prediction in January of 2.4 percent growth in 2018. For 2019, officials are forecasting that gross domestic product will expand by 2.1 percent.

That is in line with last year's growth of 2.2 percent, the strongest in six years. Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said that the economy, Europe's biggest, is in a "robust state" and the new forecast is in "in a very realistic corridor."

However, he voiced concern about developments in international trade relations and noted that Germany is a major exporter.