That dollar amount reflects a 49.1% increase compared to $196 billion five years earlier during 2021.
Year over year, the overall value of Irish exports accelerated by 20.6% from $242.2 billion in 2024.
Based on the average exchange rate for 2025, Ireland uses the euro which strengthened via a 4.4% gain against the US dollar from 2024 to 2025. The stronger European Union currency made Ireland’s exports paid for in weaker US dollars modestly more expensive for international buyers starting with American currency.
Ireland’s biggest export products by value in 2025 were hormones including miscellaneous steroids, blood fractions including antisera, medication mixes in dosage, heterocyclics and nucleic acids, then electro-medical equipment like x-ray machinery. In aggregate, those major exports accounted for 58.6% of overall exports sales from Ireland. That percentage–and the products themselves–suggests a relatively concentrated range of exported goods.
Ireland places among world-leaders for exporting blood fractions including antisera, while ranking among the top exporters for drugs and medicines in general. The European nation is also a major competitor selling medical, surgical or veterinarian instruments on international markets.
Ireland’s Best International Trade Customers
The latest available country-specific data shows that 86.3% of products exported from Ireland was bought by importers in: United States of America (42.4% of the Irish total), Netherlands (10.3%), United Kingdom (7.9%), Belgium (6.1%), Germany (5.9%), mainland China (3.2%), Italy (2.8%), France (2.2%), Spain (1.6%), Japan (1.45%), Mexico (1.4%) and Switzerland (1.2%).
From a continental perspective, 44.9% of Ireland exports by value was delivered to North American countries while 43.9% was sold to importers in Europe.
Smaller percentages went to customers in Asia (9.4%), Africa (0.8%), Latin America (0.7%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, then Oceania (0.4%) led by Australia and New Zealand.
Another interesting insight is that 33.8% of Ireland’s export sales went to countries that are also European Union members. That percentage is a considerable setback from 39.5% for one year earlier.
Given Ireland’s population of 5.5 million people, its total US$292.2 billion in 2025 exported goods translates to about $53,150 for every resident in the island country. That per-capita amount surpasses the average $44,400 in 2024.
d
Ireland’s Top 10 Exports
The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Irish global shipments during 2025. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Ireland.
- Pharmaceuticals: US$96.2 billion (32.9% of total exports)
- Organic chemicals: $81.5 billion (27.9%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $23.2 billion (7.9%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $17 billion (5.8%)
- Machinery including computers: $15.4 billion (5.3%)
- Perfumes, cosmetics: $11.1 billion (3.8%)
- Aircraft, spacecraft: $6.5 billion (2.2%)
- Dairy, eggs, honey: $5.5 billion (1.9%)
- Meat: $5 billion (1.7%)
- Other chemical goods: $4.7 billion (1.6%)
Ireland’s top 10 export product categories generated 91% of the overall value of total Irish shipments.
Organic chemicals represent the fastest grower among the top 10 export categories, up by 75.5% from 2024 to 2025.
In second place for improving export sales was machinery including computers which rose 39.1%.
Ireland’s shipments of meat posted the third-fastest gain in value, up by 20.1% year over year.
The leading decliner among Ireland’s top 10 export categories was perfumes and cosmetics which fell -11.1%.
Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more granular view of exported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, see the section below.
Searchable List of Ireland’s Most Valuable Export Products
The following searchable table displays 100 of the most in-demand goods shipped from Ireland during 2025. Shown beside each product label is its total export value then the percentage increase or decrease since 2024.
| Rank | Export Product | Value (US$) | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hormones, miscellaneous steroids | $59,183,565,000 | +226% |
| 2 | Blood fractions (including antisera) | $53,786,812,000 | -5% |
| 3 | Medication mixes in dosage | $33,250,127,000 | +26.4% |
| 4 | Heterocyclics, nucleic acids | $13,253,755,000 | -20.4% |
| 5 | Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays) | $11,682,729,000 | +9% |
| 6 | Scents used for beverage or industrial manufacturing | $10,307,926,000 | -12.8% |
| 7 | Integrated circuits/microassemblies | $8,699,308,000 | +5.7% |
| 8 | Orthopedic appliances | $7,997,604,000 | +8.4% |
| 9 | Computers, optical readers | $7,897,945,000 | +87.8% |
| 10 | Medication mixes not in dosage | $7,770,858,000 | +35.7% |
| 11 | Miscellaneous heterocyclics | $6,415,860,000 | -21.1% |
| 12 | Aircraft, spacecraft | $5,960,799,000 | -9.9% |
| 13 | Chemical industry products/residuals | $3,083,799,000 | -5.7% |
| 14 | Fresh or chilled beef | $2,839,319,000 | +24% |
| 15 | Lower-voltage switches, fuses | $2,618,168,000 | +240.7% |
| 16 | Butter | $2,163,663,000 | +18.5% |
| 17 | Computer parts, accessories | $1,956,667,000 | +67% |
| 18 | Cheese, curd | $1,930,292,000 | +23.2% |
| 19 | Flour/meal/starch/malt extract food preparations | $1,856,875,000 | +1% |
| 20 | Sulphonamides | $1,688,420,000 | -30.5% |
| 21 | Alcohol (including spirits, liqueurs) | $1,630,618,000 | -10.1% |
| 22 | Optical fiber cables, sheets, plates | $1,460,770,000 | +16% |
| 23 | Other diagnostic/lab reagents | $1,215,231,000 | +6% |
| 24 | Jewelry | $1,211,225,000 | +0.2% |
| 25 | Electrical/optical circuit boards, panels | $1,143,850,000 | +12.9% |
| 26 | Phone devices including smartphones | $1,082,165,000 | -9.5% |
| 27 | Turbo-jets | $1,047,279,000 | -16.3% |
| 28 | Sutures, special pharmaceutical goods | $981,131,000 | +20.4% |
| 29 | Unrecorded sound media | $981,042,000 | +2.2% |
| 30 | Miscellaneous meat (preserved/prepared) | $891,240,000 | +9.3% |
| 31 | Frozen beef | $842,765,000 | +24.8% |
| 32 | Aluminum oxide/hydroxide | $825,659,000 | +4% |
| 33 | Physical/chemical analysis tools | $820,628,000 | +23.4% |
| 34 | Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries | $711,457,000 | -1.8% |
| 35 | Concentrated/sweetened milk, cream | $674,353,000 | +18.8% |
| 36 | Fork-lift trucks | $655,741,000 | -14% |
| 37 | Aircraft or spacecraft parts | $554,620,000 | +1% |
| 38 | Processed petroleum oils | $539,739,000 | -0.6% |
| 39 | Chocolate, other cocoa preparations | $531,725,000 | +23.3% |
| 40 | Miscellaneous animal feed preparations | $529,225,000 | +11.8% |
| 41 | Other food preparations | $518,759,000 | +22.8% |
| 42 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $515,164,000 | +10.2% |
| 43 | Casein, caseinates | $512,836,000 | +9.9% |
| 44 | Live horses, mules | $504,881,000 | +12% |
| 45 | Sheep or goat meat | $452,334,000 | +10.1% |
| 46 | Swine meat | $423,173,000 | -4.2% |
| 47 | Other measuring/testing machines | $417,863,000 | +3.7% |
| 48 | Solar power diodes/semi-conductors | $408,962,000 | -12.9% |
| 49 | Electric sound/visual signal bells or alarms | $400,085,000 | -1% |
| 50 | Electrical converters/power units | $380,949,000 | -2.4% |
| 51 | Malt beer | $373,043,000 | +4.4% |
| 52 | Live bovine cattle | $372,646,000 | +22.8% |
| 53 | Miscellaneous plastic items | $369,540,000 | +15.9% |
| 54 | Oral/dental hygiene preparations | $367,276,000 | +9% |
| 55 | Heterocyclics, oxygen | $364,792,000 | +20.3% |
| 56 | Centrifuges, filters and purifiers | $364,370,000 | +79% |
| 57 | Insulated wire/cable | $361,967,000 | +38% |
| 58 | Packaged dressings | $318,924,000 | +28.9% |
| 59 | Machinery for making semi-conductors | $295,379,000 | +5.5% |
| 60 | Live horses, mules | $277,151,000 | +0.3% |
| 61 | Refrigerators, freezers | $274,691,000 | -19.4% |
| 62 | Beauty/makeup/skin care preparations | $260,852,000 | +26.7% |
| 63 | Printing machinery | $258,334,000 | +3.2% |
| 64 | Not concentrated/unsweetened milk, cream | $255,287,000 | +13.7% |
| 65 | Derricks, cranes | $254,559,000 | -1.7% |
| 66 | Packaged insecticides/fungicides/herbicides | $252,986,000 | +9.5% |
| 67 | Mechano-therapy appliances | $246,921,000 | -4.9% |
| 68 | Ligneous fiberboard including wood | $239,629,000 | +3.9% |
| 69 | Vulcanized rubber items | $233,425,000 | +27.8% |
| 70 | Red meat offal | $232,276,000 | +13.9% |
| 71 | Plastic packing goods, lids, caps | $231,992,000 | -5.2% |
| 72 | Wrist/pocket watches (no precious metal case) | $229,160,000 | +18.4% |
| 73 | Liquid pumps and elevators | $212,836,000 | +14.5% |
| 74 | Machinery parts | $209,519,000 | -26.4% |
| 75 | TV receiver/transmit/digital cameras | $207,573,000 | -1.3% |
| 76 | Cellulose/chemical derivatives | $205,146,000 | +0.03% |
| 77 | Sawn wood | $200,822,000 | +15.7% |
| 78 | Plastic plates, sheets, film, tape, strips | $199,884,000 | -2.1% |
| 79 | Non-radioactive isotopes | $195,759,000 | -86.7% |
| 80 | Automobile parts/accessories | $195,688,000 | -5.3% |
| 81 | Miscellaneous fresh/chilled vegetables | $194,971,000 | +1.4% |
| 82 | Whole fish (frozen) | $191,798,000 | +51.5% |
| 83 | Peptones, other protein substances | $190,959,000 | +34.8% |
| 84 | Hydraulic cements | $190,900,000 | -0.2% |
| 85 | Interchangeable hand/machine tools | $190,360,000 | -11.8% |
| 86 | Concrete/artificial stone items | $189,974,000 | -1.1% |
| 87 | Non-alcoholic drinks (not water/juice/milk) | $189,556,000 | -0.1% |
| 88 | Stoppers, caps, lids and corks | $186,224,000 | +12.5% |
| 89 | Crustaceans (including lobsters) | $183,567,000 | +9.6% |
| 90 | Plastic tubes, pipes, fittings | $180,536,000 | -0.7% |
| 91 | Albumins | $179,242,000 | +120.8% |
| 92 | Sugar confectionery (no cocoa) | $177,084,000 | +12.6% |
| 93 | Poultry meat | $174,147,000 | +68.5% |
| 94 | Whole fish (fresh) | $172,983,000 | +13.4% |
| 95 | Air conditioners | $170,884,000 | +0.5% |
| 96 | Miscellaneous iron and steel structures | $164,932,000 | -19.5% |
| 97 | Iron or steel scrap | $163,969,000 | -7.7% |
| 98 | Buttermilk, yogurt | $161,153,000 | +37.6% |
| 99 | Taps, valves, similar appliances | $155,354,000 | -15.4% |
| 100 | Miscellaneous machinery | $154,712,000 | -24.3% |
These 100 exported goods were worth a subtotal of US$277.4 billion or 94.9% by value for all products exported from Ireland during 2025.
Products Generating the Greatest Trade Surpluses for Ireland
Ireland posted an overall US$131.6 billion trade surplus during 2025, expanding by 34.7% from $97.7 billion in black ink one year earlier in 2024.
The following types of Irish product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.
In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.
- Organic chemicals: US$73.8 billion (Up by 94.6% since 2024)
- Pharmaceuticals: $70.9 billion (Down by -3.1%)
- Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $17.1 billion (Up by 12.1%)
- Perfumes, cosmetics: $9.1 billion (Down by -13.6%)
- Dairy, eggs, honey: $4.24 billion (Up by 19.8%)
- Meat: $4.1 billion (Up by 18.8%)
- Other chemical goods: $3.13 billion (Down by -7.1%)
- Electrical machinery, equipment: $2.1 billion (Up by 275.5%)
- Cereal/milk preparations: $1.1 billion (Down by -13.8%)
- Modified starches, glues, enzymes: $704.1 million (Up by 27.3%)
Ireland has highly positive net exports in the international trade of organic chemicals and pharmaceuticals, relatively recession-proof industries albeit they can be subject to product development cycles. The above cashflows indicate Ireland’s strong competitive advantages under the related product categories.
Products Causing the Greatest Trade Deficits for Ireland
Below are exports from Ireland that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Ireland’s goods trail Irish importer spending on foreign products.
- Aircraft, spacecraft: -US$14.1 billion (Up by 9% since 2024)
- Mineral fuels including oil: -$7.4 billion (Down by -9.6%)
- Vehicles: -$7.3 billion (Up by 13.9%)
- Machinery including computers: -$6.6 billion (Down by -16.3%)
- Plastics, plastic articles: -$2.6 billion (Up by 23.5%)
- Knit or crochet clothing, accessories: -$1.6 billion (Up by 2.2%)
- Clothing, accessories (not knit or crochet): -$1.24 billion (Up by 4.2%)
- Articles of iron or steel: -$1.14 billion (Up by 2.1%)
- Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: -$1.14 billion (Up by 3.3%)
- Paper, paper items: -$1.1 billion (Up by 7.6%)
Ireland has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for capital-intensive aircraft and spacecraft.
These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate Ireland’s competitive disadvantages in the trade of aeronautical products but also represent key opportunities for Ireland to improve its position in the global economy through focused technological innovations.
Major Irish Export Companies
Ireland placed 19 companies on the Forbes Global 2000 rankings. The following selected corporations are examples of world-leading Irish companies.
- Accenture (computer services)
- Actavis (pharmaceuticals)
- Covidien (medical equipment, supplies)
- CRH (construction materials)
- Ingersoll-Rand (conglomerates)
- Kerry Group (food processing)
- Perrigo (pharmaceuticals)
- Seagate Technology (computer storage devices)
- Shire (pharmaceuticals)
- Smurfit Kappa Group (paper products)
According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following companies are examples of entrepreneurial Irish exporters.
- Armstrong Medical (mercury, inorganic bases, calcium)
- Bolger Engineering (iron/non-alloy steel products, electric motor parts, generators)
- Carlow Brewing (malt beer, acyclic polyhydric alcohols)
- Tratech Ireland (machine tool parts and accessories)
In macroeconomic terms, Ireland’s total exported goods represent 39.7% of its overall Gross Domestic Product for 2025 ($736.7 billion valued in Purchasing Power Parity US dollars). That 39.7% for exports to overall GDP in PPP for 2025 compares to 34.8% in 2024. Those percentages suggest a relatively increasing reliance on products sold on international markets for Ireland’s total economic performance, albeit based on a short timeframe.
Ireland’s unemployment rate averaged 4.542% for 2025, up from an average jobless rate of 4.3% for 2024 according to International Monetary Fund statistics.
Ireland’s capital city is Dublin.
See also Ireland’s Top 10 Major Export Companies, Ireland’s Top 10 Imports and Ireland’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on April 9, 2026
Forbes Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on April 9, 2026
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on April 9, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on April 9, 2026
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on April 9, 2026
Richest Country Reports, Key Statistics Powering Global Wealth. Accessed on April 9, 2026
The Irish Times, Unemployment jumps to over 20% in wake of new restrictions. Accessed on April 9, 2026
Wikipedia, Gross domestic product. Accessed on April 9, 2026
Wikipedia, List of Companies of Ireland. Accessed on April 9, 2026
Wikipedia, Purchasing power parity. Accessed on April 9, 2026
X-rates.com, Exchange Rates: Euro to US Dollar (monthly average 2025). Accessed on April 9, 2026