Ireland set for record trade surplus in spite of fall

Ireland should generate another record annual trade surplus despite data showing a monthly decline.

CSO data shows the trade surplus slipped to €3.62bn in February, down from €3.82bn in January. This marginal dip came about due to a seasonally adjusted decline in both exports and imports, during the month — exports falling in value by €1.05bn, with import value falling by €856m.

EU countries accounted for €4.6bn — or 62% — worth of Irish exports in February, with chemical-related products accounting for 60% of exports.