Ireland’s trade balance at €28.6bn, all goods and services exports less all goods and services imports, increased by €36.7bn in the fourth quarter of 2020 over the same period in 2019, due to a decrease in R&D related IP imports.
Goods | of which International Trade | |
Q3 2018 | 52.634 | 34.146 |
Q4 2018 | 55.98 | 37.071 |
Q1 2019 | 56.499 | 37.559 |
Q2 2019 | 54.444 | 38.511 |
Q3 2019 | 57.406 | 37.63 |
Q4 2019 | 59.148 | 38.979 |
Q1 2020 | 59.452 | 42.339 |
Q2 2020 | 55.997 | 38.322 |
Q3 2020 | 60.263 | 40.737 |
Q4 2020 | 62.101 | 38.594 |
Merchandise exports were €62.1bn in the fourth quarter of 2020, an increase of €3bn compared with the same quarter of 2019.
Goods | of which International Trade | |
Q3 2018 | 25.376 | 22.525 |
Q4 2018 | 30.562 | 25.929 |
Q1 2019 | 26.275 | 21.203 |
Q2 2019 | 26.344 | 21.364 |
Q3 2019 | 25.802 | 21.093 |
Q4 2019 | 29.951 | 24.042 |
Q1 2020 | 25.043 | 21.183 |
Q2 2020 | 22.622 | 18.409 |
Q3 2020 | 23.443 | 20.025 |
Q4 2020 | 27.942 | 24.083 |
Merchandise imports were €27.9bn in the fourth quarter of 2020, a decrease of €2bn compared with the same period in 2019.
Q4 2020 | Q4 2019 | |
Computer Services | 40.542 | 33.851 |
Business Services | 13.659 | 12.265 |
Financial Services | 5.143 | 4.549 |
Royalties/Licences | 4.223 | 3.167 |
Insurance | 2.994 | 2.686 |
Other Services n.e.s | 3.739 | 2.371 |
Transport | 0.343 | 1.74 |
Tourism and Travel | 0.25 | 1.225 |
Repairs and Processing | 0.734 | 0.671 |
Communications | 0.063 | 0.073 |
Service exports, at €71.7bn, increased by €9bn compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, mainly due to higher Computer services exports (which increased by €6.7bn).
Q4 2020 | Q4 2019 | |
Business Services | 33.902 | 63.803 |
Royalties/Licences | 30.854 | 23.885 |
Financial Services | 4.914 | 4.287 |
Repairs and Processing | 2.457 | 2.082 |
Insurance | 2.369 | 1.873 |
Computer Services | 1.378 | 1.219 |
Transport | 0.796 | 0.893 |
Tourism and Travel | 0.293 | 1.565 |
Other Services n.e.s | 0.223 | 0.21 |
Communications | 0.064 | 0.099 |
Service imports, at €77.3bn, were down €22.7bn compared to the fourth quarter of 2019, mainly due to lower R&D related IP imports.
Royalties/Licences Exports | of which Pharmaceutical | of which Information and Communication | |
Q3 2018 | 3.116 | 0.097 | 1.585 |
Q4 2018 | 3.02 | 0.093 | 1.206 |
Q1 2019 | 2.105 | 0.038 | 1.052 |
Q2 2019 | 2.654 | 0.039 | 1.252 |
Q3 2019 | 2.688 | 0.033 | 1.238 |
Q4 2019 | 3.167 | 0.033 | 1.246 |
Q1 2020 | 1.985 | 0.013 | 1.036 |
Q2 2020 | 2.251 | 0.045 | 1.056 |
Q3 2020 | 2.388 | 0.016 | 1.115 |
Q4 2020 | 4.223 | 0.038 | 3.008 |
Royalties/Licences Imports | of which Pharmaceutical | of which Information and Communication | |
Q3 2018 | 18.064 | 3.954 | 10.26 |
Q4 2018 | 19.926 | 4.292 | 11.749 |
Q1 2019 | 18.689 | 4.323 | 11.104 |
Q2 2019 | 20.432 | 5.846 | 11.67 |
Q3 2019 | 21.254 | 5.264 | 0 |
Q4 2019 | 23.885 | 5.455 | 0 |
Q1 2020 | 18.727 | 2.884 | 0 |
Q2 2020 | 18.058 | 3.462 | 0 |
Q3 2020 | 16.02 | 2.869 | 0 |
Q4 2020 | 30.854 | 4.918 | 0 |
Please note: The Q3 2019, Q4 2019, and Q1 - Q4 2020 figures for royalties/licences imports of which information and communication are suppressed due to confidentiality requirements.
Royalties/licences imports were €30.9bn in the fourth quarter of 2020, up €7bn on the same period in 2019.
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