DUBLIN, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- Ireland's goods imports and exports both hit a record high in 2021, according to the preliminary figures released by the country's Central Statistics Office (CSO) on Tuesday.
In 2021, Ireland imported 102.57 billion euros (about 116 billion U.S. dollars) worth of goods, up 17.8 percent when compared with 2020, said the CSO, adding that this is the first time that Ireland's imports have exceeded 100 billion euros.
Last year Ireland's goods exports also reached a record high of 165.21 billion euros, which represented a year-on-year increase of 1.9 percent, it said.
Ireland's trade surplus for last year stood at 62.64 billion euros, down nearly 17 percent from 75.07 billion euros in 2020.
Goods imported by Ireland from the European Union (EU) increased by 13 percent year-on-year to 34.28 billion euros in 2021, accounting for one-third of the country's total imports, while imports from non-EU countries and regions totalled 68.29 billion euros, up 20 percent over 2020.
Goods exported by Ireland to the EU decreased by 4 percent year-on-year to 61.44 billion euros in 2021, accounting for 37 percent of the total exports while exports to the non-EU countries and regions increased by 6 percent year-on-year to 103.77 billion euros.
The United States was the largest export destination in 2021, accounting for 52.53 billion euros, or 32 percent of Ireland's total exports, said the CSO. (1 euro=1.134 U.S. dollars) ■
