Exports from Irelandfell sharply in November, while imports rose by 2 per cent:this was mainly due to a 57 per cent increase in the number of vehicles coming into the country.
Preliminary figures from the Central Statistics Office indicate that seasonally adjusted exports decreased by €520 million or 7 per cent to €7.02 billion from October.
Coupled with a 2 per cent increase in imports of €79 million, the trade surplus fell by 21 per cent to €2.3 billion in November.
On an annual basis, the value of exports fell by 4 per cent or €273 million to €7.46 billion, substantially due to a 39 per cent drop in exports of organic chemicals. Exports of medical and pharmaceutical products rose by 33 per cent from November 2013 to the same month last year.