Vol. 395 No. 8
65 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce the extent and value of Ireland's trade with the EFTA countries in the past five years; the plans, if any, he has to improve this situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to circulate in the Official Report a tabular statement giving details of Ireland's total trade with each of the EFTA countries over the past five years as produced by the Central Statistics Office.
Total trade between Ireland and the EFTA countries was £912.1 million in 1985 and increased to £1,092.9 million by 1988. In the first 11 months of 1989 total trade was £1,187.5 million compared to IR£992.2 million in the same period in 1988. In the period from 1985 to 1989 exports rose by approximately 55 per cent while imports rose by approximately 20 per cent. The growth in exports was spread evenly over all of the EFTA countries while imports from Norway, Sweden, Austria and Finland increased slightly.
Ireland has achieved an extremely successful growth in trade with EFTA countires as can best be illustrated by the fact that at the time Ireland joined the EC we had a 6:1 trade deficit with the EFTA countries whereas now we have a 2:1 surplus.
Ireland's trade with the EFTA countries will be progressed further by the ever deepening relationship between the EC and EFTA. Discussions concerning a new agreement which will lead to a more expanded, structured partnership between the EC and EFTA are already under way and a Council mandate to begin formal negotiations in this regard is scheduled to be given during the Irish Presidency of the EC.
As a support to Irish exporters, CTT service the EFTA countries through their Stockholm office and their trade consultants in Oslo, Helsinki, Reykjavik and Zurich.
With some of Europe's highest income levels and stable long-term markets the EFTA countries will continue to be an important target for Irish exporters and I am confident that the growth in trade with these countries will continue to be very positive.
|
Country |
1985 |
1986 |
1987 |
1988 |
1989 (Jan.-Nov.) (Prov.) |
|||||
|
Imports |
Exports |
Imports |
Exports |
Imports |
Exports |
Imports |
Exports |
Imports |
Exports |
|
|
Austria |
32,320,668 |
57,575,176 |
32,436,399 |
61,859,245 |
33,705,820 |
65,105,010 |
39,849,000 |
65,791,000 |
39,818,000 |
77,109,000 |
|
Finland |
77,290,000 |
54,650,000 |
78,690,000 |
57,310,000 |
82,960,000 |
59,460,000 |
99,620,000 |
68,330,000 |
96,340,000 |
76,160,000 |
|
Iceland |
580,870 |
2,686,727 |
1,016,025 |
2,993,853 |
3,472,481 |
3,680,781 |
683,000 |
3,966,000 |
237,976 |
3,543,224 |
|
Norway |
38,109,000 |
106,377,000 |
36,530,000 |
96,292,000 |
53,386,000 |
123,601,000 |
43,197,000 |
148,292,000 |
43,635,000 |
152,284,000 |
|
Sweden |
148,696,280 |
170,867,589 |
139,835,999 |
173,546,131 |
139,531,794 |
205,366,820 |
160,135,000 |
231,054,000 |
183,004,000 |
244,961,00 |
|
Switzerland |
95,329,276 |
127,643,820 |
85,524,303 |
154,994,415 |
68,373,653 |
168,140,061 |
71,692,000 |
160,342,000 |
72,021,000 |
198,357,00 |
|
Total |
392,326,094 |
519,800,312 |
374,032,726 |
546,995,644 |
381,429,748 |
625,353,672 |
415,176,000 |
677,775,000 |
435,055,976 |
752,414,224 |
|
Surplus (Deficit) |
127,474,218 |
172,962,918 |
243,923,924 |
262,599,000 |
317,358,248 |
