Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny at the Belgium Embassy Rollingnews.ie

Britain is not Ireland's most lucrative EU trading partner - Belgium is

Exports to Britain in 2015 accounted for €13.7 billion but the Belgian market was worth €14.5 billion.

BRITAIN IS USUALLY seen as Ireland’s main EU ally and largest trading partner, but Belgium is a bigger export market, according to CSO statistics obtained by TheJournal.ie.

The statistics show that while Ireland exported €13.7 billion worth of goods to Britain in 2015, exports to Belgium topped €14.5 billion.

A proportion of this is shipped on from Belgian ports to other markets.

Exports to Britain still account for much more bulk – 36% of the total volume of exports were across the Irish Sea.

The United States, meanwhile, remain our most lucrative export market by a country mile, accounting for €26 billion of Irish exports last year.

Israel

Israel has jumped from being our 14th biggest export market to 11th, with electrical machinery and appliances the single biggest sector.

Republic of Ireland v Belgium - UEFA Euro 2016 - Group E - Stade de Bordeaux King Philippe of Belgium waits for the Euro 2016 match between Belgium and Ireland in Bordeaux in June Petr David Josek / PA Petr David Josek / PA / PA

Bernie Ryan of the Central Statistics Office told TheJournal.ie that medical and pharmaceutical products account for most of the exports to Belgium.

“Basically we export a lot of pharmaceutical offices whose head office are in Brussels, which is their hub,” she said.

It’s a slight misnomer in a way, because some of it might be then sent on to other countries.

“You’d be talking very high value and low quantities, because pharmaceuticals are low in bulk.

Whereas with England it could be live animals, maybe lower-value but higher tonnage goods.

“It’s a hard one – we do export a lot to Britain, but a lot of that is food and live animals.

“Our exports to Britain are still very important.”

Pfizer Pfizer is one of Ireland's biggest pharmaceutical firms Rollingnews.ie Rollingnews.ie

Ireland exported €6.8 billion worth of medical and pharmaceutical products to Belgium in 2015, and €2.42 billion in the first four months of this year.

Meat production

We also exported just over €6 billion worth of organic chemicals to Belgium last year.

Exports to the United Kingdom – Britain and Northern Ireland combined – remain more valuable than those to Belgium.

The biggest sector in exports to Britain was ‘meat and meat production’, accounting for €1.7 billion last year, and €500 million from January to April.

The latest statistics show that Ireland exported €4.9 billion worth of goods to Belgium in the first four months of this year, compared to €4.064 billion worth to Britain.

Read: Massive anti-terror raids see 12 arrested in Belgium ahead of Euro 2016 match

Read: Seven terror suspects detained in Belgium and France

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
28 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Joe Arthur
    Favourite Joe Arthur
    Report
    Jul 8th 2016, 9:10 PM

    Must be high demand for potato waffles

    120
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Uncle Denise
    Favourite Uncle Denise
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 7:52 AM

    The waffliest waffles in town

    45
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Vincent Van Gogh
    Favourite Vincent Van Gogh
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 7:58 AM

    Sticking together is what good waffles do.

    48
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Bobby Phelan
    Favourite Bobby Phelan
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 3:02 PM

    all we have to ask ourselves about the eu is do we want our children in an eu army.for me no so I would like out of the eu now because that’s where its heading.

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alastair Keady
    Favourite Alastair Keady
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 4:54 PM

    Not to worry.
    a. Your children would have to join a national military force to begin with.
    b. An ‘EU army’ would actually just be national militaries co-operating under an agreed collaborative arrangement.
    c. There’s no obligation on any EU state to commit to any collaborative military activities they’re unhappy with.
    d. Our military already collaborates with other national militaries under the auspices of the UN.

    I’m not in favour of any muddying of the waters regarding the Irish Defence Forces and NATO, but there’s really very little to concern me so far in terms of the supposed ‘EU army’ proposals.

    23
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute James Delaney
    Favourite James Delaney
    Report
    Jul 12th 2016, 1:00 AM

    Ireland must be the world no. 1 location for Wafflers – Their main habitat is located in the Kildare St. area.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Tony Skillington
    Favourite Tony Skillington
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 7:30 AM

    Nice of the Belgians to give Edna some paper and crayons to keep him occupied while he waits for the very important gentleman.

    82
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Martin Sinnott
    Favourite Martin Sinnott
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 7:38 AM

    If the British stop buying Irish food they will go hungry. You can’t stop this trade overnight. They might not buy as much as sterling crashes buy will still buy large amounts of Irish food.there own farmers are in for a hiding without the Eu funds.

    51
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ger Comings
    Favourite Ger Comings
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 8:16 AM

    The UK buys 50% of our beef, 65% of our cheese and 85% of our poultry products. If this market goes, it will be very difficult to replace…

    43
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Martin Critten
    Favourite Martin Critten
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 8:26 AM

    The British farmers with have a slice of the 20 billion usually paid over to the EU, remember there was a massive deficit in what the UK got from the EU..

    24
    See 2 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Bilbo Baggins
    Favourite Bilbo Baggins
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 9:12 AM

    You haven’t read much of the papers recently Martin have you ?

    32
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fred Johnson
    Favourite Fred Johnson
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 9:24 AM

    Martin do you understand the concept that if there is a recession in the UK due to Brexit, and there likely will be, then that massively reduces tax revenue far more than the UK’s EU contribution?

    19
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Colette Kearns
    Favourite Colette Kearns
    Report
    Jul 9th 2016, 12:53 AM

    Im big into Europe , but I despise the EU. Rumour has it Brussels is looking to leave also.

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Conor Power
    Favourite Conor Power
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 10:10 AM

    Is Brussels leaving Belgium too then?

    47
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Gavin Scott
    Favourite Gavin Scott
    Report
    Jul 9th 2016, 12:18 AM

    Bigots will soon be bigotting as they believe anarchy is the only way forward. How dare England not be our greatest trading partner? How could we lose this “real” no 1 trading partner and still survive after brexit”? Being a bigot is a full time job and requires all the pieces to fall in place, irrespective of truth or reality. Oh the joys. Living the bigotry….

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute whereisspace
    Favourite whereisspace
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 7:41 AM

    What bigotry?

    51
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Juan Franc
    Favourite Juan Franc
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 10:16 AM

    Well it is the 11th night and the uda/bigots/drugdealers are falling out among themselves over the scarcity of pallets.

    32
    See 3 more replies ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute whereisspace
    Favourite whereisspace
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 2:50 PM

    What has that got to do with this article Juan?

    5
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Juan Franc
    Favourite Juan Franc
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 3:48 PM

    Brexit is going to cause an even bigger shortage of pallets for the bigots to burn.

    9
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute whereisspace
    Favourite whereisspace
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 4:33 PM

    Good grief, get a life.

    3
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Jane Waters
    Favourite Jane Waters
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 11:50 AM

    Why is the UK market talked up and the Israeli market talked down.

    11
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Alois Irlmaier
    Favourite Alois Irlmaier
    Report
    Jul 8th 2016, 11:20 PM

    I was thinking about the Dutch Sandwich?

    7
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Conor Power
    Favourite Conor Power
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 10:10 AM

    They do those in Amsterdamn

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Conor Power
    Favourite Conor Power
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 10:11 AM

    *Amsterdam

    1
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute prop joe
    Favourite prop joe
    Report
    Jul 11th 2016, 7:22 PM

    Pfizer an Irish firm?

    2
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
      Next upNext up:
      News in 60 seconds