China in our hands as Irish exports hit heights

The trade balance is firmly in Ireland’s favour for the first time in decades, writes John Whelan    

As China has become one of the world’s dominant economic powers, desire for Irish goods has surged among the country’s growing number of affluent consumers.

A vast and rapidly expanding market — for everything from cheese to gin, pork to whiskey, baby food to clothing, contact lenses to hearing aids, heart stents to artificial hips and aircraft parts to computer parts — has resulted in Irish exports to China increasing by 35% in 2017 alone; the highest ever and over double the level 10 years ago.