| Table 4.1 Exports and imports by economic sector 2017 | ||||
| Sector | Exports | Imports | ||
| €million | €million | |||
| Value | % of total | Value | % of total | |
| Agri/food | 17,923 | 15 | 3,710 | 4 |
| Pharmaceuticals | 53,166 | 44 | 10,987 | 13 |
| Other manufacturing and construction | 29,430 | 24 | 13,072 | 16 |
| Wholesale/retail | 8,722 | 7 | 26,845 | 33 |
| Services/other | 9,681 | 8 | 26,067 | 32 |
| Unknown | 2,838 | 2 | 1,914 | 2 |
| Total | 121,759 | 100 | 82,595 | 100 |
Pharmaceutical sector is the biggest exporter
The pharmaceutical sector accounted for nearly half (44%) of the total value of exports in 2017, comprising €53 billion.
Manufacturing exports were worth €29.4 billion, and exports from the agri-food sector were €17.9 billion, or 15% of total exports.
The wholesale and retail sector was the largest importer in 2017, accounting for €26.8 billion (33% of the total) of goods imported.
The services sector, which includes aircraft leasing companies, imported €26.1 billion (32%) of goods.
| Sector | Exports by NACE sector |
|---|---|
| Other manufacturing and construction | 24.1703923638775 |
| Pharmaceuticals | 43.6646371801652 |
| Whole- sale/ retail | 7.163367501122 |
| Agri/food | 14.7200485727512 |
| Services/ other | 7.95055984838163 |
| Unknown | 2.33099453370246 |
| Sector | Percentage of imports |
|---|---|
| Pharmaceuticals | 13.3027907643626 |
| Whole- sale/ retail | 32.5014677376532 |
| Other manufacturing and construction | 15.8271998316789 |
| Agri/food | 4.49134488303184 |
| Services/ other | 31.5602814596368 |
| Unknown | 2.3169153236366 |
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