New CSO figures suggest Irish exports and all-Ireland trade continue to tap Brexit dividend

CSO figures show exports from the Republic to the North rose to almost €3.3bn in the first 11 months last year from over €2.2bn in the same period in 2020. Picture: Eamonn Farrell

Exports to Britain rose by €2.27bn in the first 11 months last year while all-Ireland trade continued to expand, suggesting the economy north and south has benefited from Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol deal. 

Talks about a potential recasting of the NI Protocol, which was signed less than 13 months ago, are continuing between EU chief negotiator Maroš Šefčovič and British foreign secretary Liz Truss. 

Ms Truss was named last month to replace David Frost as Britain's negotiator in the post-Brexit talks.                  

The CSO figures show exports from the Republic across the Irish Sea into Britain rose to almost €13.4bn from €11.1bn in the 11 months to the end of November 2020, less than a month before the signing of the EU-UK trade deal in late 2020. 

Imports from Britain to the Republic slumped to €12.5bn from €15.7bn over the same period. 

At the same time, the CSO figures show exports from the Republic to the North rose to almost €3.3bn in the first 11 months last year from over €2.2bn in the same period in 2020, while imports rose to almost €3.7bn from €2.2bn.

Overall exports of goods from the Republic to the world rose to almost €151.8bn in the first 11 months, up from €149.8bn in the same period in 2020, while goods imports overall increased sharply, to €91.5bn from €78.1bn.  

The CSO said that exports and imports to and from Britain from the Republic since last January are reported as non-EU trade through the customs declarations run by the Revenue.

"Under the revised protocol on Ireland and Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland is legally part of the customs territory of the UK, but effectively remains within the EU single market for the movement of goods" and trade is reported through the EU's Intrastat and Vat returns, it said.