Country intelligence · IRL · 2024

Ireland trade profile

In 2024, Ireland recorded $256.9B in merchandise exports and $121.7B in imports, producing a $135.2B trade surplus. Exports changed +10.5% from the previous year, while imports changed -5.4%.^[1]

Exports

$256.9B

+10.5%

Imports

$121.7B

-5.4%

Trade balance

$135.2B

surplus

Active partners

270

108 FTA-linked

Historical evidence

Ten-year trade movement

The bars compare exports and imports on the same scale. The accompanying table preserves the exact values so the trend is usable without interpreting a graphic.

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

ExportsImports

Exact annual values

Year	Exports	Imports	Balance	Export growth
2024	$256.9B	$121.7B	$135.2B	+10.5%
2023	$232.6B	$128.6B	$103.9B	-0.5%
2022	$233.8B	$127.4B	$106.5B	+6.0%
2021	$220.5B	$108.3B	$112.2B	+12.0%
2020	$196.8B	$88.6B	$108.3B	+6.8%
2019	$184.3B	$85.1B	$99.2B	+3.2%
2018	$178.7B	$93.6B	$85.1B	+17.5%
2017	$152.0B	$80.0B	$72.1B	+4.5%
2016	$145.5B	$71.7B	$73.8B	+8.6%
2015	$134.0B	$70.6B	$63.4B	+3.4%

Leading export sectors

HS2 chapters rank broad product groups by observed export value in 2024.

HS 30 · Pharmaceutical products

42 active HS6 lines · 168 export partners

$99.9B

HS 29 · Organic chemicals

351 active HS6 lines · 131 export partners

$45.2B

HS 90 · HS chapter

142 active HS6 lines · 172 export partners

$23.9B

HS 85 · Electrical machinery

262 active HS6 lines · 180 export partners

$20.8B

HS 33 · HS chapter

29 active HS6 lines · 166 export partners

$12.7B

HS 84 · Machinery

513 active HS6 lines · 184 export partners

$11.0B

HS 38 · HS chapter

88 active HS6 lines · 175 export partners

$4.8B

HS 04 · HS chapter

32 active HS6 lines · 142 export partners

$4.6B

Leading export markets

Destinations rank bilateral export flows from Ireland; growth describes each corridor rather than the whole economy.

United States

Annual change +27.4% · 3-year CAGR 10.1%

$90.8B

Germany

Annual change -6.7% · 3-year CAGR 0.2%

$23.5B

United Kingdom

Annual change -2.8% · 3-year CAGR 0.6%

$20.5B

Netherlands

Annual change +29.9% · 3-year CAGR 20.4%

$19.4B

Belgium

Annual change -26.6% · 3-year CAGR -10.4%

$13.8B

China

Annual change +10.6% · 3-year CAGR -2.4%

$13.7B

France

Annual change -14.0% · 3-year CAGR -2.0%

$8.3B

Italy

Annual change +9.1% · 3-year CAGR 11.1%

$7.7B

Sources, definitions and limitations

[1] Primary trade source

OECD Bilateral International Merchandise Trade Statistics, harmonised by Yugalinks at country-year, HS2 and bilateral-corridor levels. Coverage shown here is 1995–2024 where observations are available.

Calculation notes

USD values are aggregated from reported merchandise records. YoY compares consecutive annual totals; three-year CAGR is the mart-provided compound annual growth rate. Missing values are not inferred.

Data sources Methodology Open country workspace