The value of Irish exports fell again in April, preliminary figures from the Central Statistics Office show.
Seasonally adjusted exports were €6.8 billion in April, a reduction of €45 million or 1 per cent on the previous month.But imports saw a much sharper decline, falling €483 million or 11 per cent to just under €4 billion.
As a result, the country’s trade surplus rose 18 per cent to €2.87 billion in April.
On an annual basis, April’s export numbers were 5 per cent or €367 million lower than the same month in 2013.
The reasons for the decrease was a €372 million or 18 per cent drop in the exports of medical and pharmaceutical products and a €138 million or 9 per cent fall in the export of organic chemicals.