Written answers

Wednesday, 17 October 2012

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Trade Relations

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the extent to which trade has increased or improved between Ireland and other EU countries and non EU countries in each of the past three years to date; the areas that have indicated greatest potential for further expansion in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45228/12]

Photo of Eamon GilmoreEamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Despite a difficult global economic environment, Ireland’s total trade in goods increased in each of the past three years. The total value of merchandise exports in 2011 was €91,595m, up 2.4% from 2010, while merchandise imports were valued at €48,286m, up 6% on 2010. This resulted in a merchandise trade surplus of €43,309m. For the first eight months of 2012 merchandise exports amounted to €62,493 million and imports to €32,591 million representing a trade surplus of €29,902 million. Services exports also increased last year, from €74.3bn in 2010 to €81.4bn in 2011. Below is a table listing total merchandise trade figures for the years 2009 to 2011. As the Deputy will note, the value of this trade increased in 152 of the 223 places listed over the three year period. Total trade with our EU partners increased to €80,432million from €76,737 in 2010.

While the USA, UK and other EU partners continue to be key markets for Ireland, the Government is also fully committed to developing and expanding engagement with key high potential markets. The BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa- are among the 27 priority markets identified in the Government Trade Strategy and, by the end of this year, all five countries will have received Minister- led trade missions in accordance with the programme for 2012.

In addition, there is also a focus on other emerging markets, such as Turkey and markets in South East Asia and the Gulf. Furthermore, the Africa Strategy, launched in September 2011, acknowledges the significant progress in terms of economic and social development taking place throughout the continent. It recognises that demand for goods and services is growing from African countries and that Irish-based companies are well placed to play a greater role with the assistance of my Department, our Embassy network and State Agencies.

Bilateral Trade - Figures in €000
2009
2010
2011
Afghanistan
6,858
6,903
7,809
Albania
5,877
5,508
8,848
Algeria
61,333
59,714
86,642
American Samoa
5
5
73
Andorra
6,219
6,952
8,680
Angola
6,330
11,633
14,442
Anguilla
642
287
125
Antigua and Barbuda
201
106
42
Argentina
134,466
165,269
220,218
Armenia
318
604
699
Aruba
6
29
183
Australia*
833,224
894,299
814,983
Austria*
507,887
477,267
478,397
Azerbaijan
2,517
4,929
3,867
Bahamas
6,261
7,927
9,396
Bahrain
29,013
31,328
47,013
Bangladesh
72,591
102,344
114,729
Barbados
2,171
1,063
981
Belarus
7,170
6,140
4,793
Belgium*
15,568,898
14,615,075
14,395,276
Belize
11,105
9,588
9,402
Benin
5,332
5,397
4,560
Bermuda
119,777
521
783
Bhutan
0
0
2
Bolivia
1,131
2,806
5,031
Bosnia & Herzegovina
12,862
10,864
14,307
Botswana
1,361
2,626
1,687
Brazil*
370,033
425,979
494,692
British Indian Ocean Territory
6
21
18
British Virgin Islands
75
179
1,074
Brunei
996
2,393
1,316
Bulgaria
50,479
56,685
69,599
Burkina Faso
1,385
1,660
3,010
Burma
440
574
458
Burundi
71
129
68
Cambodia
21,358
21,684
26,684
Cameroon
21,179
24,669
31,639
Canada*
822,106
812,444
883,605
Cape Verde
969
155
60
Cayman Islands
514
738
389
Central African Rep
441
269
142
Ceuta
193
433
425
Chad
8,717
2,845
1,011
Chile
79,392
94,630
109,056
China*
5,275,096
5,249,917
5,034,027
Christmas Island
0
95
877
Cocos Islands
0
27
77
Colombia
31,432
33,201
43,594
Comoros
187
464
177
Congo
7,521
8,892
14,842
Congo (Dem Rep)
14,926
25,969
32,981
Cook Islands
295
4
8
Costa Rica
76,422
112,863
54,918
Croatia
57,575
47,076
44,278
Cuba
985
2,077
459
Cyprus
50,833
34,628
27,555
Czech Republic*
406,625
629,470
700,799
Denmark*
1,160,220
1,191,616
1,069,693
Djibouti
138
119
416
Dominica
160
183
191
Dominican Republic
14,617
15,709
17,124
Ecuador
8,740
10,681
11,012
Egypt
133,060
148,920
163,380
El Salvador
1,946
8,341
4,740
Equatorial Guinea
3
346
795
Eritrea
54
499
58
Estonia
48,200
25,516
26,498
Ethiopia
9,362
21,165
16,737
Falkland Islands
180
54
195
Faroe Islands
3,228
2,025
1,608
Fiji
2,289
2,330
1,949
Finland
464,614
480,407
425,762
France*
6,780,827
6,324,655
6,980,654
French Polynesia
3,231
3,659
1,590
French Southern Terr
n/a
n/a
7
Gabon
5,350
4,290
8,718
Gambia
186
344
850
Georgia
4,241
5,781
7,477
Germany*
7,833,403
9,847,489
10,092,307
Ghana
38,686
46,260
52,308
Gibraltar
2,966
1,687
1,814
Great Britain*
24,887,807
26,259,200
28,569,516
Greece
408,298
335,912
344,886
Greenland
10
41
7
Grenada
234
268
333
Guam
204
441
435
Guatemala
5,242
7,461
7,618
Guinea
69,930
100,381
90,551
Guinea-Bissau
8
2
15
Guyana
1,193
1,127
2,688
Haiti
1,528
2,939
2,833
Heard Island
1
1
284
Holy See
6
0
8
Honduras
2,279
4,682
8,673
Hungary
429,592
364,852
324,923
Iceland
23,145
25,231
24,388
India*
442,802
462,984
576,417
Indonesia
130,088
122,863
139,981
Iran
46,718
86,935
66,342
Iraq
33,413
47,524
38,677
Israel
278,867
322,429
542,817
Italy*
3,683,857
3,489,157
3,820,780
Ivory Coast
4,169
5,220
5,927
Jamaica
3,731
5,914
4,785
Japan*
2,390,474
2,551,888
2,538,740
Jordan
49,601
59,924
57,369
Kazakhstan
20,494
21,252
30,491
Kenya
24,273
28,863
34,433
Kiribati
2
0
89
Kosovo
1,210
1,609
360
Kuwait
99,678
63,959
99,625
Kyrgyz Republic
280
125
242
Laos
1,676
4,761
4,453
Latvia
58,863
67,161
93,222
Lebanon
34,964
59,264
53,874
Lesotho
233
254
140
Liberia
1,205
1,424
2,446
Libya
284,599
378,841
97,961
Liechtenstein
1,010
897
1,517
Lithuania
45,850
74,023
92,483
Luxembourg
165,498
103,682
122,964
Macedonia
13,524
11,559
8,504
Madagascar
829
551
824
Malawi
4,546
4,036
4,181
Malaysia*
1,121,353
898,204
615,262
Maldives
213
319
3,092
Mali
8,887
11,719
18,564
Malta
27,010
41,401
34,243
Mauritania
366
957
1,437
Mauritius
10,485
10,915
13,445
Mayotte
432
1,744
4,563
Melilla
269
200
100
Mexico
638,173
697,648
795,414
Micronesia
25
1
7
Moldova
2,242
3,103
3,138
Mongolia
363
679
4,295
Montenegro
2,491
268
148
Montserrat
3
89
53
Morocco
81,731
81,648
86,551
Mozambique
3,807
4,350
2,265
Namibia
1,311
699
3,987
Nauru
108
2,199
448
Nepal
270
281
366
Netherlands*
5,134,495
5,316,902
5,565,577
Netherlands Antilles
1,074
795
499
New Caledonia
2,610
2,446
4,522
New Zealand
104,410
117,006
114,512
Nicaragua
3,485
6,049
10,789
Niger
1,533
4,470
236
Nigeria
205,693
206,215
627,992
Norfolk Island
1
0
5
North Korea
731
1,407
1,047
North Mariana Is
15
1
134
Norway
1,341,215
1,709,809
1,572,032
Palestine
485
3,059
734
Oman
28,816
45,163
47,055
Pakistan
70,097
63,643
69,295
Panama
14,126
13,889
12,715
Papua New Guinea
9,046
10,971
1,494
Paraguay
319
949
2,234
Peru
18,289
25,176
28,623
Philippines
165,038
143,843
119,887
Pitcairn Islands
26
6
1
Poland*
1,010,015
912,348
900,497
Portugal
499,626
524,275
577,832
Qatar
29,997
36,384
45,034
Romania
327,759
357,298
462,091
Russian Federation*
326,025
532,468
627,862
Rwanda
1,238
457
815
Saint Helena
230
376
67
Samoa
467
239
426
San Marino
768
633
445
Sao Tome & Principe
49
19
12
Saudi Arabia*
403,435
510,300
526,760
Senegal
6,619
31,268
46,694
Serbia
43,343
48,443
52,955
Seychelles
1,224
1,648
1,825
Sierra Leone
1,701
2,076
3,292
Singapore*
1,021,589
1,058,188
854,449
Slovakia
89,422
109,834
112,806
Slovenia
35,655
60,130
37,396
Solomon Islands
4
33
1
Somalia
199
534
652
South Africa*
321,784
369,913
440,105
South Korea*
631,494
601,060
684,482
Spain*
4,042,121
4,024,697
3,730,963
Sri Lanka
44,484
55,133
55,057
St Kitts and Nevis
151
225
142
St Lucia
299
316
407
St Vincent
458
278
261
Sudan
12,889
16,967
13,843
Suriname
428
735
401
Swaziland
1,558
803
2,958
Sweden*
1,071,291
1,013,058
1,375,455
Switzerland*
2,896,848
4,404,161
4,446,945
Syria
25,246
28,827
26,552
Taiwan
531,732
353,388
375,559
Tajikistan
2
123
16
Tanzania United Rep
11,151
13,514
13,223
Thailand
424,216
383,032
386,411
Timor-Leste
2
2
4
Togo
3,163
6,095
10,464
Tokelau Islands
2,981
2,154
3,245
Tonga
30
5
67
Trinidad and Tobago
13,303
12,767
13,293
Tunisia
24,914
32,126
27,947
Turkey
641,627
686,221
750,739
Turkmenistan
853
487
3,901
Turks & Caicos Is
64
41
128
Uganda
6,813
7,717
10,311
Ukraine
38,633
34,119
78,016
United Arab Emirates*
291,069
379,351
313,788
United States*
25,422,765
27,188,555
27,509,539
Uruguay
15,327
16,740
13,458
US Minor Islands
77
144
508
US Virgin Islands
814
742
280
Uzbekistan
796
679
1,248
Vanuatu
9
110
42
Venezuela
39,723
47,418
51,270
Vietnam
124,529
123,047
147,840
Yemen
4,638
13,584
29,916
Zambia
6,545
14,200
16,812

* Priority markets identified under the Government’s Trade Strategy

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