Trade surplus rises to €2.8bn

THE trade surplus for April rose to €2.8 billion, its highest level since November 2004.

Overall, the figures hide a 5% dip in exports for the first four months of the year which could threaten economic growth, warned a leading economist.

Preliminary figures from the Central Statistics Office show a strong increase in the volume of trade in April compared with March, with exports up 12% to €7,597m, while imports rose by 14% to €4,716.