The Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation, Heather Humphreys, has welcomed the recent record-breaking Goods Exports and Imports release from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
“Export growth in Ireland in recent years has been very strong and I am very pleased that the growth in our goods exports has continued in 2018,” Minister Humphreys said.
“The fruits of the efforts of our exporters and enterprise agencies can be seen in today’s trade data and I am proud of the success that companies in Ireland have achieved in international markets.”
Record Levels
Preliminary figures show that the value of goods exports from Ireland rose to a new record level of €140.8 billion in 2018, increasing by €18 billion or 15% when compared to 2017.
The US continues to be Ireland’s biggest single goods export market, with US-bound exports increasing by 18% to €39 billion in 2018.
Exports to the EU increased by 13% to €71 billion, while exports to the UK saw a 2% decrease to €16 billion.
The minister added that a key priority for Government is to promote diversified export markets in light of Brexit.
“We are committed to supporting our enterprises and opening up the potential for even stronger trade links and connectivity between Ireland and the rest of the world,” she continued.
“Ministerial-led Trade Missions will reinforce the potential for Irish companies in the global marketplace and provide a platform for accelerated export growth and investment opportunities.”
© 2019 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Aidan O’Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up for the Checkout print edition.
