Exports from Ireland tumbled by 51% in March 2026

Trump 'Liberation Day' tariff fears had seen record exports in March 2025

Sunrise at Tivoli container terminal at the Port of Cork. The value of goods exports from Ireland tumbled more than 50% year on year in March 2026, figures released by the CSO on Friday show. Picture: Larry Cummins

The value of goods exports from Ireland tumbled more than 50% year on year in March 2026, figures released by the CSO on Friday show.

The CSO data showed exports from Ireland were €18.3bn in March, a fall of €19.3bn (-51.4%) compared with March 2025 (€37.6bn).

The March 2025 figure came ahead of Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariff announcement, and many exporters had front loaded goods in March 2025 to avoid any extra fees from the US administration. This led to the inflated March 2025 figure, the highest level of goods exported from Ireland in any one month to date.

“One year on from so-called ‘Liberation Day’, organisations are now facing three new intertwined pressures: The conflict in the Gulf region, disrupted supply chains, and a focus on new tariff measures being implemented by the USA,” said Louise Kelly, a global trade strategy and resilience lead at Deloitte Ireland.

Comparing March 2024 and March 2026, the value of exported goods fell by less than 5% (€0.9bn) from €19.2bn in March 2024 to €18.3bn in March 2026. The value of good imports rose by €1.2bn (+9.3%) to €14.3bn in March 2026 compared with March 2025 (€13.1bn). Imports of goods in Q1 of 2026 increased by €800m (+2.2%) to €36.9bn, when compared with Q1 2025 (€36.1bn).

Taking in the first quarter of this year from January to March, the value of exported goods decreased by €37.6bn (-43%) to €49.9bn, compared with Q1 2025 (€87.4bn).

However, seasonally adjusted goods exports from Ireland increased by €761.6m (+4.8%) to €16.7bn in March 2026 compared with February (€15.9bn). Seasonally adjusted goods imports rose by €862.5m (+7%) to €13.1bn.

“The latest trade figures highlight the growing strain on Irish exporters following the introduction of tariffs and wider disruption across global trade markets," said Robert Purdue, senior client portfolio manager at global financial services firm Ebury (Ireland). "While the sharp annual decline in exports in March was amplified by exceptionally high trade levels last year, the broader trend still points to softer export activity and weaker momentum across Irish trade."

Exports of goods to Britain rose by €764.2m (+64.1%) to €2bn in March compared with March 2025 (€1.2bn), accounting for 10.7% of total export trade in March 2026.

"The figures reinforce the importance of the ongoing focus on diversifying Ireland’s export base, both across sectors and into a broader range of markets," said Simon MacAllister, EY Ireland’s co-head of geopolitical strategy.