Volume of Irish imports declines

Imports of petrol through ports increased by €1bn last year despite a fall in the volume of imports, according to a report on the performance of Irish ports.

The Irish Maritime Development Office report on the performance of Irish ports found that across all categories — with the exception of dry bulk goods — the volume of Irish imports were down.

The volume of dry bulk goods through Irish ports increased by 5%, due to the mass ordering of salt last year by authorities in preparation for bad winter weather.

Director Glenn Murphy said there was a strong relationship between the downturn in imports and the larger Irish economy.

“The latest report again shows a strong correlation between developments in the real economy and the changing pattern of maritime traffic over the course of last year.

“We are optimistic that despite the slowdown in the pace of the recovery last year, most of the heavy volume losses have already been sustained. However the scope for growth this year remains limited and contingent on improved demand conditions in global markets,” he said.

The report notes exports of container traffic to key overseas markets in the US and Asia increased by 5%, driven by the performance of the pharmaceutical, chemical and food and drink sectors, in particular dairy and meat exports.

The two leading export commodities, medical and pharmaceutical products and organic chemicals exports, increased by 9% and 4% respectively.

High global commodity prices drove the agriculture sector. Dairy exports grew strongly, up 24% while meat exports jumped 15%. The gains in this area were offset by a 10% drop in the export of computer equipment.

The importation of containers recorded their 20th consecutive quarter of negative growth. The fall in imports means shipping lines are unable to source suitable container capacity in Ireland to meet the demands of the export sector.