Trade balance in Ireland

Oficina Central de Estadistica de Irlanda · Mensual

3,457,581 (Jun-26) ABS · Euro Thousand · Mensual · CSV

About this indicator

Source	Central Statistics Office
Frequency	Mensual
Release	En torno a uno o dos meses después del periodo de referencia.
What it is	The trade balance measures the difference between the value of Ireland's exports and imports of goods with the rest of the world in a given month. It is published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) from the external merchandise trade statistics.
How it's calculated	Balance = goods exports minus imports recorded by customs in the month, expressed in millions of euros. A positive figure is a trade surplus and a negative one a deficit. Ireland typically posts a large surplus thanks to its pharmaceutical and tech export sectors.
Market implications	The external balance is a component of GDP and a gauge of the competitiveness of the Irish economy. A widening surplus supports growth, though in Ireland the figure is heavily driven by multinationals, which limits its use as a read on domestic demand.
Limitations	The figures are not final: each release revises earlier months and the data arrive with a lag. The heavy weight of multinationals and effects such as contract manufacturing can distort the balance relative to genuine activity in Ireland.