Unadjusted exports of goods from Ireland, exceeded €20 billion in a month for the first time in March, driven mainly by growth in the exports of medical and pharmaceutical products, as well as organic chemicals, new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows.

The data also shows that imports exceeded €11 billion for the first time on record. Imports from Britain grew by 39 per cent to €1.9 billion, driven mainly by increases in the imports of mineral fuels and chemicals.

However, CSO statistician Ciarán Counihan pointed out that the large growth rate in imports from Britain is partly explained by the relatively low level of imports in March 2021 when customs documentation was required for trade.

Seasonally adjusted goods exports increased by €2 billion (+12 per cent) to €18.4 billion in March compared with February.

Seasonally adjusted goods imports decreased by €241 million (-2 per cent) to €9.7 billion, leading to an increase of €2.4 billion (+34 per cent) in the seasonally adjusted trade surplus to €8.7 billion in March compared with the previous month.

The Irish Times has more from the CSO figures.