The value of food and live animal exports stood at €14.4 billion in 2023, according to data published today (Tuesday, November 26) by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
The Ireland’s Trade in Goods 2023 report shows that these products accounted for 7% of the country’s total exports last year.
The data shows that exports of food and live animals comprised 38% of total exports in 1978 with a value of €1.4 billion.
By contrast, exports of chemicals and related products represented 12% of total exports in 1978.
By 2008, it accounted for half of all exports, and in 2023 had a value of €127 billion, almost two-thirds of total exports.
The CSO data shows that imports of food and live animals has fallen from 11% of imports in 1978 to 7% in 2023. In value terms, it has increased from €490 million to €10 billion.
CSO
Ciarán Counihan, statistician in the CSO International Trade in Goods Division, said that last year Ireland exported more than €196 billion worth of goods and imported €140 billion.
“Exports of chemicals and related products accounted for almost two-thirds of total exports, with a value of more than €126 billion.
“The European Union (EU27) accounted for more than €81 billion of our exports, while the US was the largest single export partner with exports of €54 billion.
“Ireland’s biggest import partner in 2023 was the UK, accounting for €26 billion of our imports. The UK’s share of our total imports has fallen from 34% to 19% over the past 25 years,” he said.
“There were €22 billion worth of exports to Asia, and one-fifth of our total imports in 2023, of which China accounted for €9 billion. We imported €5.7 billion more from Asia than we exported in 2023.
Ireland exported €1.8 billion of goods to Africa in 2023 and imported €1 billion. There was €868 million exported to South America and almost €1 billion to Oceania in 2023,” Counihan added.