Trade in agri-food between the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and Northern Ireland has increased substantially since 2018.

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue provided the trading figures in response to a recent parliamentary question from Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín.

The figures show that, in 2018, ROI sent €1.103 billion worth of agri-food produce to Northern Ireland, while €1.065 billion worth of agri-food moved in the opposite direction as exports from Northern Ireland.

Four years later, these figures had both increased by around €800 million, to €1.976 billion and €1.819 billion respectively.

The figures for each of the years 2018 to 2022 (inclusive) are outlined in the table below:

YearExports to NI (value in €)Imports from NI (value in €)
20181.103 billion1.065 billion
20191.118 billion998 million
20201.115 billion1.011 billion
20211.656 billion1.424 billion
20221.976 billion1.819 billion

The agri-food trade figures for 2022 show that the top five categories (in terms of value) for exports to Northern Ireland from ROI were: Dairy produce (€492 million); animal feed (€240 million); beef (€224 million); forestry and wood products (€146 million); and live animals (€139 million).

The top five categories for imports from Northern Ireland to ROI in 2022 were: Dairy produce (€521 million); animal feed (€303 million); beverages (€282 million); cereal and cereal preparation (€118 million); and forestry and wood products (€97 million).

In response to Tóibín’s question, Minister McConalogue said: “The overall value of trade – both in terms of imports from and exports to Northern Ireland – has increased significantly over this period.

“This increase in trade has taken place despite a period of uncertainty associated with the UK’s decision to exit the EU,” the minister added.

He said that the positive trends in ROI-Northern Ireland trade in agri-food “underlines the importance of the positive outcomes secured to the EU-UK Brexit negotiations”.

“Specifically, the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement [TCA] and the Ireland-Northern Ireland Protocol of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement have ensured that Northern Ireland has retained access to the EU Single Market, which has been critical to the continued growth in trade between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

“The government will continue to insist that both the EU-UK TCA and the protocol, via the Windsor Framework, are implemented in full, which will help to ensure that trade in agri-food goods on the island of Ireland continues to develop positively,” Minister McConalogue said.