This chapter contains information on Ireland’s Goods Exports and Imports statistics which provide data on the movement of goods between countries. The statistics are a combination of Customs-based non-EU trade statistics and data from the Intrastat survey of Irish traders involved in trade with other EU member states.
In May 2015, significant revisions were incorporated into International Trade in Goods statistics back to 2000. The most significant revision was due to recording trade in aircraft (commodity group SITC 79 - Other transport equipment, including aircraft) on a "transfer of economic ownership" basis. The technical note in the appendix gives more detail on the revised trade data.
| 15.1 Goods Exports and Imports summary analysis | ||||||
| Year | Value | Volume index | ||||
| (base year 1990=100) | ||||||
| Trade | ||||||
| Exports | Imports | surplus | Exports | Imports | ||
| €m | €m | €m | ||||
| 1974 | 1,440 | 2,065 | -625 | 25.2 | 44.2 | |
| 1975 | 1,838 | 2,164 | -326 | 27.2 | 38.3 | |
| 1976 | 2,361 | 2,969 | -608 | 28.2 | 44.2 | |
| 1977 | 3,197 | 3,925 | -727 | 33.2 | 49.9 | |
| 1978 | 3,762 | 4,715 | -952 | 36.7 | 57.1 | |
| 1979 | 4,416 | 6,130 | -1,714 | 39.6 | 65.5 | |
| 1980 | 5,184 | 6,883 | -1,699 | 42.7 | 62.3 | |
| 1981 | 6,066 | 8,353 | -2,287 | 43.0 | 63.7 | |
| 1982 | 7,227 | 8,655 | -1,428 | 46.1 | 61.5 | |
| 1983 | 8,817 | 9,354 | -537 | 51.7 | 63.5 | |
| 1984 | 11,297 | 11,316 | -19 | 61.2 | 70.0 | |
| 1985 | 12,371 | 11,971 | 400 | 65.2 | 72.3 | |
| 1986 | 11,903 | 10,947 | 956 | 67.6 | 74.4 | |
| 1987 | 13,616 | 11,625 | 1,991 | 77.4 | 79.1 | |
| 1988 | 15,624 | 12,970 | 2,654 | 82.9 | 82.8 | |
| 1989 | 18,534 | 15,598 | 2,937 | 92.2 | 93.6 | |
| 1990 | 18,204 | 15,832 | 2,372 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |
| 1991 | 19,070 | 16,317 | 2,753 | 105.6 | 100.8 | |
| 1992 | 21,260 | 16,754 | 4,506 | 121.1 | 105.6 | |
| 1993 | 25,179 | 18,900 | 6,279 | 133.4 | 113.0 | |
| 1994 | 28,891 | 21,945 | 6,946 | 153.2 | 127.9 | |
| 1995 | 35,330 | 26,181 | 9,149 | 184.0 | 146.3 | |
| 1996 | 38,609 | 28,479 | 10,130 | 202.2 | 160.9 | |
| 1997 | 44,868 | 32,863 | 12,004 | 232.4 | 184.8 | |
| 1998 | 57,322 | 39,715 | 17,607 | 289.2 | 218.3 | |
| 1999 | 66,956 | 44,327 | 22,629 | 336.5 | 236.5 | |
| 2000 | 83,986 | 54,960 | 29,026 | 401.4 | 275.2 | |
| 2001 | 92,730 | 56,455 | 36,275 | 422.0 | 274.2 | |
| 2002 | 94,059 | 55,106 | 38,953 | 435.1 | 276.6 | |
| 2003 | 82,585 | 48,515 | 34,070 | 418.4 | 259.7 | |
| 2004 | 84,949 | 51,557 | 33,392 | 446.5 | 283.6 | |
| 2005 | 87,173 | 58,463 | 28,710 | 456.7 | 316.3 | |
| 2006 | 87,497 | 63,833 | 23,664 | 457.6 | 323.9 | |
| 2007 | 90,580 | 65,939 | 24,640 | 481.8 | 340.9 | |
| 2008 | 88,503 | 59,336 | 29,168 | 484.5 | 300.5 | |
| 2009 | 87,586 | 48,203 | 39,382 | 468.4 | 249.2 | |
| 2010 | 90,924 | 48,695 | 42,229 | 485.5 | 241.3 | |
| 2011 | 93,191 | 53,035 | 40,155 | 507.9 | 240.8 | |
| 2012 | 93,507 | 56,179 | 37,328 | 479.1 | 231.9 | |
| 2013 | 89,182 | 55,787 | 33,394 | 460.6 | 238.8 | |
| 2014 | 92,616 | 62,158 | 30,458 | n/a | n/a | |
| 2015 | 112,191 | 70,176 | 42,016 | n/a | n/a | |
| Source: CSO | ||||||
Interactive table: StatBank link
Between 1974 and 2015 the value of goods exported rose from €1,440 million to €112,191 million. The value of imports rose from €2,065 million to €70,176 million. 2015 represented the highest level of both exports and imports on record.
The Trade in Goods balance (exports minus imports) changed from a deficit of €625 million in 1974 to a surplus of €42,016 million in 2015.
The value of exports in 2015 increased by 21% over 2014, while imports grew by 13% over the same period.
| 15.2 Goods Exports and Imports classified by commodity | |||||||||||
| €million | |||||||||||
| SITC (Rev 4) | Exports | Imports | |||||||||
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | ||||
| 0 | Food and live animals | 8,132 | 8,734 | 9,350 | 9,881 | 5,589 | 6,033 | 6,189 | 6,694 | ||
| 1 | Beverages and tobacco | 1,208 | 1,174 | 1,147 | 1,287 | 862 | 823 | 837 | 877 | ||
| 2 | Crude materials, inedible, except fuels | 1,733 | 1,732 | 1,795 | 1,770 | 694 | 672 | 727 | 854 | ||
| 3 | Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials | 1,647 | 823 | 847 | 773 | 7,160 | 6,886 | 6,477 | 5,112 | ||
| 4 | Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes | 55 | 52 | 62 | 57 | 251 | 235 | 217 | 245 | ||
| 5 | Chemicals and related products | 55,045 | 50,394 | 51,569 | 64,145 | 10,265 | 10,873 | 11,443 | 13,967 | ||
| 6 | Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material | 1,690 | 1,711 | 1,871 | 2,107 | 3,713 | 3,876 | 4,232 | 4,733 | ||
| 7 | Machinery and transport equipment | 11,562 | 11,859 | 12,100 | 16,666 | 20,434 | 18,963 | 23,580 | 27,940 | ||
| 8 | Miscellaneous manufactured articles | 11,401 | 11,529 | 12,628 | 14,284 | 6,069 | 6,119 | 6,898 | 8,160 | ||
| 9 | Commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere | 483 | 543 | 607 | 559 | 187 | 210 | 293 | 324 | ||
| Unclassified estimates1 | 550 | 630 | 641 | 663 | 956 | 1,096 | 1,264 | 1,270 | |||
| Total | 93,507 | 89,181 | 92,616 | 112,191 | 56,179 | 55,787 | 62,157 | 70,176 | |||
| 1 Estimates for which a commodity classification is not available | |||||||||||
| Source: CSO | |||||||||||
Interactive table: StatBank link
The total value of goods exports increased by 20% between the years 2012 and 2015. Exports of Machinery and transport equipment increased by 44% from €11,562 million in 2012 to €16,666 million in 2015.
In 2015 exports of Chemicals and related products accounted for 57% or €64,145 million of total exports.
The value of goods imports increased by 25% between 2012 and 2015. Imports of Food and live animals increased by 20% to €6,694 million over this period.
Chemical and related products (20%) and Machinery and transport equipment (40%) accounted for 60% of total imports in 2015.
In May 2015, significant revisions were incorporated into International Trade in Goods statistics back to 2000. The most significant revision was due to recording trade in aircraft (commodity group SITC 79 - Other transport equipment, including aircraft) on a "transfer of economic ownership" basis. The technical note in the appendix gives more detail on the revised trade data.
Interactive table: StatBank link
On an overall basis the EU accounted for €59,770 million or 53% of total goods exports in 2015. Great Britain and Belgium were the main EU export markets accounting for 12% and 13% of total exports, respectively.
The USA remained the main non EU destination accounting for 24% of total exports.
Interactive table: StatBank link
From 2012 to 2015, the value of goods imports from the EU has remained at around 60% of the total. Great Britain is the largest source of imports, accounting for 24% of total imports in 2015.
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