Improved export prospects are lifting the mood in the German automotive industry, according to a monthly survey of industry executives by the ifo Institute for economic research. Ifo’s monthly indicator, based on survey responses, rose in March to its highest level since last May, the institute reported on Wednesday. “The German automotive industry now seems to have finally emerged from the economic slump of the second half of 2023 and is looking to the future with more confidence,” said ifo researcher Anita Wölfl. Automotive industry executives in particular reported an improved outlook for t…