Food and live animal exports up to the end of July were valued at almost €9.8 billion, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

This represents an increase of €1.4 billion (16%) on the same period last year when this category of exports were worth €8.4 billion.

The latest data shows that food and live animal exports were valued at €1.43 billion in July 2025, compared to €1.26 billion in the same month last year.

Over the first seven months of 2025, meat and meat preparations exports were worth €3.16 billion, up from €2.6 billion in the corresponding period last year.

The CSO said that exports of dairy products and birds' eggs were valued at €2.7 billion (up from €2.13 billion), while cereals and cereal preparations decreased in value from €498 million to €458 million in the period.

For the first seven months of the year, €3.75 billion worth of food and live animals was exported to the EU, €2.7 billion to Britain, €1.2 billion to Northern Ireland, €543 million to the US, €290 million to China, and €1.27 billion to the rest of the world.

The CSO figures show that imports of food and live animals into Ireland were valued at €6.47 billion up to the end of July.

This is up from €5.9 billion in the same period last year.

In July, imports of food and live animals were worth €971 million, up from €902 million in the same month in 2024.

Up to the end of July 2025, imports of cereals and cereal preparations were recorded at €1.14 billion, up from just over €1 billion in the same seven-month period last year.

Imports of vegetables and fruits were valued at €1.15 billion in the period, while imports of feeding stuff for animals (excluding milled cereals) were similar to last year at €742 million.

Meat and meat preparations imports up to the end of June were valued at €792 million (up from €683 million) and dairy products and birds' eggs imports were valued at €749 million (up from €625 million).

Up to the end of July, €2.5 billion worth of food and live animals was imported into Ireland from the EU, €1.56 billion from Britain, €1 billion from Northern Ireland, €198 million from the US, €94 million from China, and €1 billion from the rest of the world.

Commenting on the overall Goods Exports and Imports July 2025 report, Jane Burmanje, statistician in the International Trade in Goods Division of the CSO, said:

“Both exports and imports of goods decreased in July 2025 compared with July 2024.

"The value of goods exports declined by €919.2 million (-5.1%) to €17.2 billion and the value of goods imports fell by €92.1 million (-0.8%) to €12 billion.

"This was followed by the Netherlands, which accounted for 12.6% (€2.2 billion) of total export goods and Germany at 8.6% or €1.5 billion.

"Ireland imported 14% (€1.7 billion) of all import goods from the US in July 2025, making it our second largest import trading partner, after Germany (15.2 % or €1.8 billion)," she said.