That dollar amount results from a 49.1% increase compared to $196 billion five years earlier during 2021.
From 2024 to 2025, total international sales for goods exported from Ireland accelerated by 20.6% starting from $242.2 billion.
Geographically the Republic of Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world.
The top 5 customers buying Ireland’s exports in 2024 were the United States of America, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Belgium and Germany. Collectively, that quintet of major customers buying Irish exports bought approaching three-quarters (72.6%) of Ireland’s total shipments in 2025 by value.
Applying a continental lens, more than two-fifths (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.
In addition, 33.8% of Ireland’s export sales went to countries that are also European Union members. That percentage is much lower than the 39.5% for 2024.
Ireland’s Top Trading Partners
Below is a list showcasing 25 of Ireland’s top trading partners in terms of Irish export sales. That is, countries that imported the most Irish shipments by dollar value during 2025. Also shown is each import country’s percentage of total Irish exports.
- United States: US$123.8 billion (42.4% of Ireland’s total exports)
- Netherlands: $30 billion (10.3%)
- United Kingdom: $23.2 billion (7.9%)
- Belgium: $17.9 billion (6.1%)
- Germany: $17.2 billion (5.9%)
- mainland China: $9.3 billion (3.2%)
- Italy: $8.1 billion (2.8%)
- France: $6.5 billion (2.2%)
- Spain: $4.5 billion (1.6%)
- Japan: $4.2 billion (1.4%)
- Mexico: $4.1 billion (1.4%)
- Switzerland: $3.4 billion (1.2%)
- Portugal: $3.4 billion (1.2%)
- Malaysia: $3.3 billion (1.1%)
- Canada: $2.9 billion (1%)
- Hungary: $2.6 billion (0.9%)
- Poland: $2.2 billion (0.7%)
- South Korea: $1.7 billion (0.6%)
- Sweden: $1.61 billion (0.5%)
- Israel: $1.55 billion (0.5%)
- Saudi Arabia: $1.12 billion (0.4%)
- Norway: $1.08 billion (0.4%)
- Australia: $1.03 billion (0.4%)
- Türkiye: $959.8 million (0.3%)
- Russia: $939.6 million (0.3%)
Over nine-tenths (94.7%) of Irish exports in 2025 was delivered to the above 25 trade partners.
The fastest grower among Ireland’s top importers was Hungary via its 266.2% upturn. Other leading percentage gains belong to buyers in Norway (up 260.4%), Portugal (up 80.1%), United States of America (up 57.5%) and South Korea (up 53.9%).
There were four double-digit percentage decliners buying products exported from Ireland. These were Canada (down -33.8% from 2024), Germany (down -21.1%), Spain (down -19.3%) and Switzerland (down -13.3%).
Countries Causing Biggest Trade Deficits for Ireland
As defined by Investopedia, a country whose total value of all imported goods is higher than its value of all exports is said to have a negative trade balance or deficit.
It would be unrealistic for any exporting nation to expect across-the-board positive trade balances with all its importing partners. Similarly, that export country doesn’t necessarily post a negative trade balance with each individual partner with which it exchanges exports and imports.
In 2025, Ireland incurred the highest trade deficits with the following countries.
- France: -US$7.1 billion (country-specific trade surplus in 2025)
- Taiwan: -$3.2 billion
- mainland China: -$2.5 billion
- United Kingdom: -$2.3 billion
- Israel: -$2.2 billion
- Germany: -$2 billion
- Vietnam: -$2 billion
- Czech Republic: -$1.3 billion
- Thailand: -$866.6 million
- India: -$632.8 million
Among Ireland’s trading partners that generate the greatest negative trade balances, Irish surpluses with Czech Republic (up 128.7%), Taiwan (up 83%) and the United Kingdom (up 75.9%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.
In addition, Ireland transitioned from $8.6 billion surplus trading with Germany to recording the deficit listed above.
These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate Ireland’s competitive disadvantages with the above countries, but also represent key opportunities for Ireland to develop country-specific strategies to strengthen its overall position in international trade.
Countries Generating Greatest Trade Surpluses for Ireland
Ireland recorded 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.
Based on Investopedia’s definition of net importer, a country whose total value of all imported goods is lower than its value of all exports is said to have a positive trade balance or surplus.
In 2025, Ireland incurred the highest trade surpluses with the following countries.
- United States: US$100.1 billion (country-specific trade surplus in 2025)
- Netherlands: $19.6 billion
- Belgium: $11.8 billion
- Italy: $3.2 billion
- Portugal: $2.9 billion
- Malaysia: $2.3 billion
- Japan: $2.2 billion
- Spain: $1.9 billion
- Mexico: $1.8 billion
- Hungary: $1.7 billion
Among Ireland’s trading partners that generate the greatest positive trade balances, Irish surpluses with Portugal (up 157.7%), United States of America (up 84.4%) and Japan (up 82.4%) grew at the fastest pace from 2024 to 2025.
In addition, Ireland went from incurring a -$292.7 million deficit trading with Hungary to recording the multi-billion-dollar surplus listed above.
These positive cashflow streams clearly indicate Ireland’s competitive advantages with the above countries, but also represent key opportunities for Ireland to develop country-specific strategies to optimize its overall position in international trade.
Major Irish Companies Servicing International Trade Partners
Ireland placed 19 companies on the Forbes Global 2000 rankings. Below is a sample of the major Irish companies that Forbes included.
- 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)
See also Ireland’s Top 10 Imports, Ireland’s Top 10 Major Export Companies and Ireland’s Top 10 Exports
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Country Profiles. Accessed on April 25, 2026
Forbes 2021 Global 2000 rankings, The World’s Biggest Public Companies. Accessed on April 25, 2026
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on April 25, 2026
Investopedia, Net Importer Definition. Accessed on April 25, 2026
Zepol’scompany summary highlights by country. Accessed on April 25, 2026