Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 28 Oct 1993

Vol. 435 No. 2

Written Answers. - Trade with Eastern Europe.

Bernard J. Durkan

Question:

47 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Tourism and Trade the extent of trade with east European countries in the past four years, on a yearly basis with particular reference to those areas showing most likely growth prospects; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Tourism and Trade (Mr. McCreevy)

I propose to circulate in the Official Report, a tabular statement giving details, based on estimates from the Central Statistics Office, of Ireland's trade with east European countries in the past four years.

Ireland's trade with east European countries has traditionally been low, accounting for only about 1 per cent of Ireland's total trade, and consisting mainly of fuel imports from Poland and Russia, and exports of food to the USSR — mainly as a result of the European Community's Humanitarian Aid Programme.

In the light of recent developments, however, the East European markets now offer significant new trading opportunities in the medium to long term. A number of niche opportunities for tradable goods have been identified — primarily in the food, electronics and pharmaceuticals sectors — with the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary currently offering the best potential for export growth. An Bord Tráchtála estimates that exports will be up in 1993 to each of these three countries, where the economic situation is already stabilising and significant private sectors are emerging.

There is immediate potential, in particular, for export growth in the services sector to Eastern Europe, where countries are still in the process of transforming their economies from a command to a free-market model, and require considerable amounts of technical assistance to complete this process. As a result, the operation of World Bank, EBRD, and the EC's PHARE and TACIS programmes are providing good and growing opportunities for the Irish services sector.

Trade with East European Countries* (£000)

	1989	1990	1991	1992
Exports	111,351	153,111	125,465	163,578
Imports	151,214	141,662	142,268	114,574
Total Trade	262,565	294,773	267,733	278,152

* East European countries include Poland, Hungary, CSFR, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, East Germany, Yugoslavia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, USSR, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Armenia and Tadjikistan.