April exports surge to record

Exports surged to a record high in April as the economic recovery continues to be led by demand out of the UK and US, official figures have shown.

Economists have said that the slump in the value of the euro against sterling and the dollar because of low growth in the wider eurozone and the prospect of higher interest rates in the US have propelled exports in recent months.

The CSO’s figures published yesterday appear to have confirmed these favourable influences as it reported that exports climbed in April to €9.3bn, the highest figure since records began.