Surge in Irish exports to the US drives €12bn trade surplus

Latest CSO figures show exports to the US grew by 81% in January

The US was both the largest goods export and import market for Ireland in the month, accounting for almost 50% of total goods exported and almost 20% of total good imports. Picture: David Creedon

Irish exports soared by more than a quarter at the start of this year, rising by over 26% to €23m in January compared to the previous month.

New figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Tuesday showed a rise in pharma exports drove a more than €12bn goods trade surplus in January, as imports fell marginally by 2.6% in the period.