Ireland’s exports declined by 43 per cent in April compared to March 2025, according to new figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), reports Breaking News.
While exports rose by €2.5 billion (12.7 per cent) to €21.9 billion compared with April 2024, they fell sharply by €16.24 billion in April 2025 versus March 2025, when they stood at €38.1 billion.
Shipments of goods to the United States dropped by €16 billion (a 62 per cent decrease) to €9.7 billion in April 2025, compared with €25.7 billion in March 2025, reports Breaking News.
However, the year-on-year picture was more positive: exports to the US rose by €3.2 billion (48.6 per cent) in April 2025 compared with April 2024, when they stood at €6.6 billion.
Medical and pharmaceutical product exports were down significantly—by €12.8 billion (a 54 per cent decline)—in April 2025 relative to the previous month, reports Breaking News.
Yet when compared to April 2024, exports in this category increased by €2.1 billion (23.6 per cent), reaching €10.9 billion in April 2025, up from €8.8 billion.
In the first four months of 2025, total exports to the US increased by 170 per cent (€37.9 billion), rising from €22.3 billion in the same period in 2024 to €60.2 billion, reports Breaking News.
Reacting to the latest data, Carol Lynch, head of customs and international trade services at BDO, stated: “Overall, we can see that the expected significant exports to the US are now falling back to a lower level, but a level that is still well above that of April 2024 – illustrated by the fact that exports to the US in the first four months of 2025 were 170 per cent higher than in the same period last year.”
“Exports of medical and pharmaceuticals represented over 60 per cent of total YTD exports, highlighting Ireland’s heavy dependence on this sector,” reports Breaking News.
“This is one to watch as pharmaceutical products are currently exempt from Trump’s 10 per cent universal tariffs but are subject to Section 232 investigations with a consequent risk of a 25 per cent tariff (if the same rates as resulted from other S232 tariffs apply),” reports Breaking News.
“The next most significant date for companies to focus on next will be July 9th when the current ‘pause’ on lower reciprocal tariffs ends,” reports Breaking News.
Ms Lynch pointed out that the 25 per cent tariff rate originally applied to the EU was scheduled for enforcement on April 9th but has been temporarily halted to facilitate EU-US trade negotiations. If talks break down, the 25 per cent rate will take effect.
“The other big question of interest to Irish exporters is whether the Liberation Day tariffs will in fact be allowed to continue at all,” reports Breaking News.
“These tariffs have been ‘invalidated’ by the US Courts, but they continue to exist while an appeal on the invalidation decision is being heard by the Courts. President Trump has made it clear that he wishes the 10 per cent universal rate to continue as a new minimum – so this is one to watch,” she said, reports Breaking News.
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