US corporate investment in Ireland amounted to nearly $130bn (€96bn) over the past five years; roughly 14 times larger than the amount American companies spent in China over the same period.

Irish exports enjoyed “an amazingly strong year” in 2012, growing by 5%, or twice the world trade average.

Heathrow, the UK's biggest airport enjoyed a record-breaking month in November.

Moving and shaking on a sticky issue

Independent enterprise body Connect Ireland said it has detected significant investment interest in Ireland from China, Brazil, Russia, and India (BRIC).

The growth of Irish exports is expected to decline sharply this year as the European crisis continues to cause havoc in Ireland’s main trading partners.

The Cavan-headquartered building materials group Kingspan paid its executive directors a combined €9.4m last year — nearly €4m more than in 2010.

Heavy investment in agricultural research is driving farm output in the high-growth economies Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRICs), according to a new study by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Innovative measures to attract key personnel to head up new divisions of foreign and domestic companies will lead to the creation of more jobs here, the Irish Tax Institute has said.

Irish unrest continues over core aspects of the proposed new Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), but focus is moving onto battles that have a realistic chance of being won.

THE Government couldintroduce special visas aimed at allowing high net-worth overseas entre-preneurs establish Irish bases before the end of the year.

NOVEMBER saw a marked recovery in Ireland’s trade surplus, with a strong export performance pushing it up to €4.3 billion, its highest level ever.

THE outlook for exports in 2012 is one of “sluggish growth”, the sector’s main representative body has said.

TEN days before Christmas, Goodbody Stockbrokers blew a raspberry in the direction of that long-term pillar of the Irish stock exchange, CRH, when it issued an unwelcome sell recommendation on the stock.

BORD BIA and the Irish Dairy Board (IDB) can work in tandem to develop new overseas markets for Irish milk exports, according to Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney.

A MASSIVE boost is expected for the development of new product sales abroad by Irish companies.

AUSTERITY promises by three new governments in Italy, Greece and Spain failed to stem the spreading crisis in the eurozone yesterday, as did promises of a blueprint for a eurobond to be announced tomorrow.

EXPORT performance, which is generally viewed as the main driver of growth for the economy, is likely to be less impressive than initially forecast.

EFFORTS to put together the so-called bazooka to ringfence the euro and its vulnerable member states from the markets were inching their way towards a conclusion last night, but the final deal will have to wait until the EU leaders return to Brussels on Wednesday.

IRELAND is, as Captain Boyle said, in a “state of chassis”.

Heading up Enterprise Ireland in the midst of an economic crisis is no easy task but there has been some good news for Frank Ryan lately, with multinationals hiring again and the export sector packing a powerful punch, says Kyran Fitzgerald

A THIRD of Irish businesses are planning to expand — via merger or acquisition (M&A) — this year, according to a new survey.

SIXTY-TWO years after Mao Tse-tung led the revolution that established his autocratic, brutal and hugely influential communist People’s Republic, China has become the world’s second largest economy by leapfrogging its neighbour Japan.

LABOUR’s director of elections, Ruairí Quinn, has predicted the party is set to double its current representation in the next Dáil by winning in excess of 40 seats.

The Labour party’s enterprise document pledges €500m to create jobs, but puts emphasis on task forces rather than strategy, writes Tom O’Connor

THE global economy is in a far better place than it was six months ago when “double dip” recession was still a major concern.

SEVERAL factors boosted the economy’s record export performance in 2010, including a significant pick-up in activity in key global markets.

IRISH companies are missing out on opportunities in Russia, according to Enterprise Ireland’s “Man in Moscow”.

IRELAND is well-placed to remain an attractive location for foreign direct investment from US companies, although any potential No vote in the upcoming Lisbon referendum would almost certainly change that standing.

IT’S not often that world superpowers worry about competition from little Ireland.

India’s prime minister today insisted it is time for peace with neighbouring Pakistan, but warned that relations between the two nuclear-armed rivals were still “under considerable stress” in the wake of last year’s terror attack in Mumbai.

HIGH labour and energy costs and fluctuating currencies, rather than banking facilities, are the main concerns for exporting companies, according to a new survey from the Irish Exporters Association (IEA).

IRELAND is no longer a preferred location for foreign investment.

The majority of Irish foreign investment will continue to be focused on the US and UK markets, a new survey has found.