Ireland’s trade balance at €25.4bn, all goods and services exports less all goods and services imports, decreased by €4.2bn in the fourth quarter of 2021 over the same period in 2020, due to increased Royalty and Business service imports.
Goods | of which International Trade | |
Q3 2019 | 57.16 | 37.629 |
Q4 2019 | 58.823 | 38.789 |
Q1 2020 | 62.528 | 44.206 |
Q2 2020 | 57.033 | 37.848 |
Q3 2020 | 61.349 | 40.54 |
Q4 2020 | 63.899 | 39.3 |
Q1 2021 | 68.821 | 40.454 |
Q2 2021 | 69.057 | 40.366 |
Q3 2021 | 72.264 | 40.516 |
Q4 2021 | 72.681 | 43.397 |
Merchandise exports were €72.7bn in the fourth quarter of 2021, an increase of €8.8bn compared with the same quarter of 2020.
Goods | of which International Trade | |
Q3 2019 | 25.912 | 21.21 |
Q4 2019 | 29.635 | 24.01 |
Q1 2020 | 24.872 | 20.894 |
Q2 2020 | 22.756 | 17.714 |
Q3 2020 | 23.454 | 19.659 |
Q4 2020 | 28.774 | 24.755 |
Q1 2021 | 25.164 | 20.583 |
Q2 2021 | 26.777 | 25.091 |
Q3 2021 | 26.536 | 22.779 |
Q4 2021 | 31.404 | 28.198 |
Merchandise imports were €31.4bn in the fourth quarter of 2021, an increase of €2.6bn compared with the same period in 2020.
Q4 2021 | Q4 2020 | |
Computer Services | 50.067 | 41.125 |
Business Services | 13.493 | 15.053 |
Financial Services | 5.235 | 5.87 |
Royalties/Licences | 4.84 | 4.511 |
Other Services n.e.s | 4.082 | 4.056 |
Insurance | 3.615 | 3.128 |
Transport | 0.877 | 0.343 |
Repairs and Processing | 0.583 | 0.707 |
Tourism and Travel | 0.272 | 0.286 |
Communications | 0.06 | 0.062 |
Service exports, at €83.1bn, increased by €8bn compared to the fourth quarter of 2020, mainly due to higher Computer services exports (which increased by €8.9bn).
Q4 2021 | Q4 2020 | |
Business Services | 48.447 | 36.442 |
Royalties/Licences | 36.208 | 30.818 |
Financial Services | 4.747 | 4.962 |
Insurance | 2.59 | 2.448 |
Repairs and Processing | 2.527 | 2.387 |
Computer Services | 2.155 | 1.65 |
Transport | 1.317 | 1.07 |
Other Services n.e.s | 0.526 | 0.394 |
Tourism and Travel | 0.318 | 0.353 |
Communications | 0.121 | 0.112 |
Service imports, at €99bn, were up €18.3bn compared to the fourth quarter of 2020, mainly due to increased Royalty and Business service imports.
Royalties/Licences Exports | of which Pharmaceutical | of which Information and Communication | |
Q3 2019 | 2.652 | 0.032 | 1.234 |
Q4 2019 | 3.143 | 0.033 | 1.253 |
Q1 2020 | 2.723 | 0.02 | 1.714 |
Q2 2020 | 2.847 | 0.03 | 1.672 |
Q3 2020 | 3.004 | 0.023 | 1.717 |
Q4 2020 | 4.511 | 0.045 | 3.004 |
Q1 2021 | 2.761 | 0.025 | 1.685 |
Q2 2021 | 3.568 | 0.044 | 2.275 |
Q3 2021 | 3.72 | 0.036 | 2.246 |
Q4 2021 | 4.84 | 0.063 | 3.204 |
Royalties/Licences Imports | of which Pharmaceutical | of which Information and Communication | |
Q3 2019 | 21.61 | 5.489 | 0 |
Q4 2019 | 24.433 | 5.873 | 0 |
Q1 2020 | 18.935 | 2.936 | 0 |
Q2 2020 | 18.468 | 3.726 | 0 |
Q3 2020 | 16.2 | 2.936 | 0 |
Q4 2020 | 30.818 | 4.793 | 0 |
Q1 2021 | 22.461 | 3.201 | 0 |
Q2 2021 | 26.283 | 4.795 | 0 |
Q3 2021 | 27.641 | 3.731 | 0 |
Q4 2021 | 36.208 | 6.934 | 0 |
Please note: The Q3 2019, Q4 2019, Q1 - Q4 2020 and Q1 – Q4 2021 figures for royalties/licences imports of which information and communication are suppressed due to confidentiality requirements.
Royalties/licences imports were €36.2bn in the fourth quarter of 2021, up €5.4bn on the same period in 2020.
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