Your feedback can help us improve and enhance our services to the public. Tell us what matters to you in our online Customer Satisfaction Survey.
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.
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 | 83,889 | 55,909 | 27,980 | 401.4 | 275.2 |
2001 | 92,690 | 57,384 | 35,306 | 422.0 | 274.2 |
2002 | 93,675 | 55,628 | 38,047 | 435.1 | 276.6 |
2003 | 82,076 | 47,865 | 34,212 | 418.4 | 259.7 |
2004 | 84,410 | 51,105 | 33,304 | 446.5 | 283.6 |
2005 | 86,732 | 57,465 | 29,267 | 456.7 | 316.3 |
2006 | 86,772 | 60,857 | 25,915 | 458.0 | 325.2 |
2007 | 89,226 | 63,486 | 25,741 | 481.8 | 340.9 |
2008 | 86,394 | 57,585 | 28,810 | 484.5 | 300.5 |
2009 | 84,239 | 45,061 | 39,178 | 468.4 | 249.2 |
2010 | 89,703 | 45,763 | 43,429 | 485.5 | 241.3 |
2011 | 91,228 | 48,315 | 42,913 | 507.9 | 240.8 |
2012 | 91,688 | 49,151 | 42,538 | 479.1 | 231.9 |
2013 | 86,890 | 49,635 | 37,255 | 460.6 | 238.8 |
Source: CSO |
Interactive table: StatBank link
Between 1974 and 2013 the value of Goods Exports grew from €1,440 million to €86,890 million while Goods Imports increased from €2,065 million to €49,635 million. The highest level of exports was €93,675 million in 2002 and €63,486 million for imports in 2007.
The Trade in Goods balance (exports minus imports) changed from a deficit of €625 million in 1974 to a surplus of €37,255 million in 2013. The highest Trade surplus was recorded in 2010 at €43,429 million.
Comparing 2013 with 2012 the value of exports decreased by 5% while the value of imports increased by 1%.
15.2 Goods Exports and Imports classified by commodity | ||||||||||
€million | ||||||||||
SITC (Rev 4) | Exports | Imports | ||||||||
2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | |||
0 | Food and live animals | 7,003 | 7,874 | 8,132 | 8,748 | 4,579 | 5,018 | 5,589 | 6,050 | |
1 | Beverages and tobacco | 1,204 | 1,177 | 1,208 | 1,178 | 822 | 806 | 862 | 815 | |
2 | Crude materials, inedible, except fuels | 1,444 | 1,764 | 1,733 | 1,714 | 678 | 725 | 694 | 673 | |
3 | Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials | 1,028 | 1,354 | 1,647 | 823 | 5,602 | 6,946 | 7,160 | 6,885 | |
4 | Animal and vegetable oils, fats and waxes | 27 | 54 | 55 | 51 | 181 | 248 | 251 | 236 | |
5 | Chemicals and related products | 53,237 | 56,031 | 55,045 | 50,418 | 8,758 | 10,415 | 10,265 | 10,875 | |
6 | Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material | 1,449 | 1,658 | 1,690 | 1,706 | 3,499 | 3,712 | 3,713 | 3,848 | |
7 | Machinery and transport equipment | 10,587 | 10,370 | 10,314 | 10,430 | 12,324 | 12,426 | 12,560 | 12,063 | |
8 | Miscellaneous manufactured articles | 10,371 | 10,231 | 10,831 | 10,693 | 6,153 | 6,013 | 6,069 | 6,027 | |
9 | Commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere | 2,711 | 179 | 483 | 544 | 2,171 | 1,097 | 1,033 | 1,066 | |
Unclassified estimates1 | 643 | 535 | 550 | 583 | 998 | 908 | 956 | 1,096 | ||
Total | 89,703 | 91,228 | 91,688 | 86,890 | 45,763 | 48,315 | 49,151 | 49,635 | ||
1 Estimates for which a commodity classification is not available. | ||||||||||
Source: CSO |
Interactive table: StatBank link
Between 2010 and 2013 the value of Goods Exports decreased by 3%. Exports of Food and live animals showed a steady increase (+25%) from €7,003 million in 2010 to €8,748 million in 2013.
Exports of Chemicals and related products (€50,418 million) accounted for 58% of total exports in 2013.
Over the four year period 2010 to 2013 the value of Goods Imports increased by 8% to €49,635 million with imports of Food and live animals increasing by 32%.
Interactive table: StatBank link
On an overall basis the EU accounted for €49,562 million or 57% of total Goods Exports in 2013. Great Britain and Belgium were the main EU export markets, representing 14% and 13% respectively in 2013.
Between 2010 and 2013, the value of exports increased by more than 30% to the following ten countries- Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Canada, India, Russia and Switzerland.
The USA was the main non-EU destination for goods accounting for 21% of total exports in 2013.
Interactive table: StatBank link
Historically, the proportion of Goods Imports coming from the EU has remained stable at over 60%. Around two thirds of the value of imports in 2013 came from the EU with 32% coming from the UK.
Go to next chapter >>> Prices
Learn about our data and confidentiality safeguards, and the steps we take to produce statistics that can be trusted by all.