Ireland’s trade surplus narrowed sharply to EUR 4.6 billion in February 2026, down from EUR 13 billion in the same month a year earlier. Exports fell 36.4% year-on-year to EUR 15.9 billion, driven by notable declines in live animals excluding fish (-16.9%), vegetables and fruit (-17.2%), and crude materials excluding fuels (-32.1%). Exports to several key markets also contracted, including the United States (-69.7%), Japan (-56.1%), China (-16.6%), and Switzerland (-64.6%).
Imports decreased more moderately, slipping 6.1% to EUR 11.3 billion. The decline was led by lower imports of dairy products and birds’ eggs (-17.6%), cereals and cereal preparations (-22.7%), feeding stuffs for animals excluding unmilled cereals (-20.1%), and tobacco and tobacco manufactures (-27.1%). By source country, imports fell from the United States (-15.1%), the Netherlands (-13.4%), Germany (-49.6%), and Belgium (-67.3%).
Over the first two months of the year, the trade surplus came to EUR 9.4 billion, a steep decrease from EUR 26.8 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year.
