The most valuable Irish imports also include phone system devices (including smartphones) and computers. Processed petroleum oils and crude oil represent other items where Ireland’s domestic supply lags demand, as is the case for Ireland’s imported cars and trucks.
The following list shows on which product categories Irish importers spent the most. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level.
This level of detail can help entrepreneurs identify more precisely which products in which Ireland has strong demand but competitive disadvantages compared with other nations. Innovation can transform these disadvantages into lucrative business opportunities.
For the most recent four-digit HTS code data, please see the link to Ireland’s Top 10 Imports article in the See also paragraph above Research Sources below.
Highest Value Irish Import Products
Below are the 20 highest value import products delivered to Irish importers in 2017. Shown within brackets is the change in value for each imported product over the 5-year period starting in 2013.
- Aircraft, spacecraft: US$14.4 billion (Up 1,285% from 2013 to 2017)
- Blood fractions (including antisera): $5.5 billion (Up 1,112%)
- Medication mixes in dosage: $3 billion (Down -14.5%)
- Computers, optical readers: $2.8 billion (Up 39.4%)
- Cars: $2.6 billion (Up 69.2%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $2.6 billion (Down -35.8%)
- Medication mixes not in dosage: $1.6 billion (Up 167.8%)
- Heterocyclics, nucleic acids: $1.6 billion (Up 35%)
- Crude oil: $1.4 billion (Down -42.7%)
- Phone system devices including smartphones: $1.3 billion (Up 47.2%)
- Electro-medical equipment (e.g. xrays): $1.1 billion (Up 20%)
- Computer parts, accessories: $944 million (Down -39.8%)
- Petroleum gases: $888 million (Down -57.6%)
- Orthopedic appliances: $658.7 million (Up 21.9%)
- Trucks: $587.5 million (Up 60.5%)
- Bread, biscuits, cakes, pastries: $534.6 million (Down -1.4%)
- Miscellaneous heterocyclics: $506.1 million (Down -36.6%)
- Turbo-jets: $499 million (Down -18.2%)
- Plastic packing goods, lids, caps: $468.5 million (Up 3.3%)
- Carboxyamid/amide-function compounds: $440.9 million (Up 14.9%)
Among these product categories, fully assembled aircraft and spacecraft posted the greatest increase in Irish import purchases with a 1,285% gain in value from 2013 to 2017.
In second place were imported blood fractions including antisera which improved 1,112%.
Irish imports of medication mixes showed a respectable 167.8% gain, trailed by imported cars (up 69.2%) and trucks (up 60.5%).
Leading the decliners were petroleum gases (down -57.6%), crude oil (down -42.7%) and computer parts and accessories (down -39.8%).
See also Ireland’s Top Trading Partners, Ireland’s Top 10 Imports and Ireland’s Top 10 Major Export Companies
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on February 18, 2018
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Imports and World Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on February 18, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on February 18, 2018