ACCORDING to figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) today, Irish exports to the United States experienced a staggering increase of 81% when compared with data collected this time last year.
The CSO also revealed that medical and pharmaceutical products accounted for the biggest proportional increase in Irish exports, having experienced a 68% jump in items sold.
Despite these welcome indications of Irish industry continuing to do well abroad, the CSO stressed that the figures only made comparisons between January 2025 and January 2024 and that they should not be read as indicative of an overall trend.
This is because some commentators have interpreted the figures as evidence that companies in the US are stockpiling goods ahead of Trump’s new trade tariffs taking full effect.
Nevertheless, CSO statistician Jane Burmanje has pointed out that Ireland is in a good position, having logged a surplus of €12.2 billion in goods trade this January. She said: “The increase in the goods trade surplus was driven by a rise in exports, particularly the export of pharmaceuticals.
“Exports of goods to the United States were €11.7 billion in January 2025, accounting for 48.4% of total good exports, while imports of goods from the US were €2.1 billion, representing 19.7% of total imports, making it the largest market for Ireland in this period.”
Overall, the unadjusted value of goods exports rose by €5.3 billion (28.2%) to €24.2 billion compared with the same period last year in January 2024 (€18.9 billion).
The picture has not been completely positive, however. Carol Lynch, Head of Customs and International Trade Services at BDO, pointed out that the value of exports to Great Britain declined by 22% year-on-year.
Though the drop is concentrated in the chemicals and pharmaceuticals sector – which saw a decrease of €384m compared to January 2024 – there was a corresponding increase of more than €500m in chemical and pharmaceutical exports to the EU.
Ms. Lynch said: “Those exporting to the US market, in particular, should immediately reassess their strategies to mitigate risks and capitalise on opportunities in the changing landscape.
“We advise that companies now need to act swiftly to ensure their products are exported prior to the imposition of tariffs,” she added.
See More: BDO, CSO, Central Statistics Office, EU, Great Britain, USA
