Mervyn Taylor
Ceist:23 Mr. Taylor asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will make a statement on the nature and extent of Ireland's trade with Libya.
Written Answers. - Trade with Libya.
Over the last five years, Ireland's trade with Libya has been erratic. Our exports have fallen from £31 million in 1987 to £11 million in 1991. In the intervening years, exports fluctuated between £20 million in 1988, £37 million in 1989 and £30 million in 1990.
Imports on the other hand have been almost non-existent. Except for 1987, when the import figure was £6 million in respect of oil, the following years showed nil or negligible imports.
This has resulted in a balance of trade in Ireland's favour for the past five years. Specifically, for 1991, this balance was £11 million.
Our exports to Libya are characterised by agricultural products. For each of the years 1987 to 1990, the export of cattle made up almost 50 per cent of our total exports. The other two main export product categories were food products, consisting mainly of drink concentrates and industrial machinery.
The large fall off in exports as between 1990 and 1991 from £30 million to £11 million is in fact largely attributable to the absence of cattle exports during 1991 which trade ceased because of mistaken Libyan concern about BSE. I have been advised by the Department of Agriculture and Food that while this difficulty has now been largely resolved, it has nevertheless been impossible to re-establish these traditional exports to date. However, a small number of beef consignments have recently been exported to Libya; others are expected to follow.
At present, of course, our modest commercial relations with Libya are affected by recent UN and EC action concerning that country. Against a background of non-compliance with an earlier Resolution obliging Libya to extradite two people allegedly responsible for the Lockerbie bombing, the United Nations Security Council, on 31 March, 1992, implemented Resolution 748 effective from 15 April 1992.
This Resolution ordered all States to end all air services to and from Libya, to prohibit the supply of aircraft or aircraft components and related services, and banned the provision of arms and related materials of all types, including the equipment for their manufacture, as well as a number of related services. The EC gave effect to this UN Resolution by way of EC Council Regulation No. 945/92 of 14 April 1992. While this is directly binding on Ireland, it is additionally — and in keeping with traditional practice — being implemented by way of various domestic legal provisions.