The decline means the recession is deepening, as the contraction in Q1 was 1.3% and the latest decline is the biggest since Q2 2010, when GDP sank 3%.
The second quarter of 2012 saw a 1.8% decline in the export of goods and services on the year, while imports declined 3.3%. In Q1 2012, exports went up 2.4% and imports 1.1% on the year.
Gross added value in Q2 2012 declined 2.5% on the year in real terms.