Written answers
Tuesday, 29 April 2025
Department of Finance
Trade Data
Eoin Hayes (Dublin Bay South, Social Democrats)
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570. To ask the Minister for Finance the value of all exports to the United States, by subcategories of firms (details supplied); the details of sub-sectors that are most exposed in the international trade war; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19084/25]
Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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In 2024, over €73 billion worth of goods were exported from Ireland to the US. Table 1 shows the breakdown of these exports by commodity group.
Table 1: 2024 goods exports to the US (€billions), by sector | |
---|---|
Total goods exports | 73.2 |
Pharmaceuticals and chemicals | 58.3 |
Miscellaneous manufactured articles (including medical technology) | 7.9 |
Machinery and transport equipment | 4.8 |
Food and beverages | 1.9 |
Other | 0.3 |
The US is a key market for Ireland’s indigenous sector. For instance, according to the CSO, Ireland exported almost €2 billion worth of food and beverages to the US last year.
Table 2 below shows the breakdown of goods exports to the US by firm size for 2023 (the latest year for which data is available). These data show that the vast majority of exports to the US (88 per cent) came from firms with 250 employees or more.
Table 2: 2023 goods exports to the US (€billions), by firm size | |
---|---|
Total goods exports | 50.5 |
250 employees or more | 44.4 |
From 50 to 249 employees | 3.6 |
From 10 to 49 employees | 1.0 |
Fewer than 10 employees | 1.6 |
Regarding trade by foreign-owned vs indigenous companies, the most detailed breakdown available is for goods exports within the EU and outside the EU, shown in table 3 below. It is evident that foreign-controlled firms are responsible for the majority of exports to countries outside the EU, accounting for over €92 billion (or 85 per cent) worth of exports to countries outside the EU in 2023 (the latest year for which data is available).
Table 3: 2023 goods exports (€billions), by firm ownership | |||
---|---|---|---|
Total | Domestically-controlled | Foreign-controlled | |
Total | 188.9 | 26.4 | 162.5 |
Within-EU | 80.8 | 10.6 | 70.3 |
Outside EU | 108.1 | 15.9 | 92.2 |
I would like to conclude by stressing that government remains committed to finding a negotiated solution, with our EU partners and US counterparts to the current imposition of tariffs. In the meantime, we need to do all we can do to maintain Ireland’s standing as a competitive and supportive environment for inward and indigenous investment and quality employment. The response, therefore, must be to control the ‘controllables’.
We will continue to invest in human capital – in education, skills, training – and in key strategic infrastructure - energy, water, sewage, housing, transport – to boost Ireland’s competitiveness further. We must also continue to build up our fiscal buffers including through transfers to the Future Ireland Fund and the Infrastructure Climate and Nature Fund.
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