Ireland's merchandise trade surplus increased for the second successive month in March as imports declined and shipments recorded growth, preliminary data from the Central Statistics Office showed Thursday.
The seasonally adjusted trade surplus increased to EUR3.49 billion in March from EUR3.13 billion in February. In March 2012, the balance was a surplus of EUR3.12 billion.
Goods exports increased a seasonally adjusted 4 percent sequentially to EUR7.29 billion in. Compared to March 2012, however, the value of shipments decreased by 8 percent.
On an overall basis, the European Union (EU) accounted for around 57 percent of total Irish exports in March. The U.S was the main non-EU destination, accounting for 26 percent of total shipments.
Imports logged a 2 percent month-on-month decrease during the month. On an annual basis, external purchases plunged 17 percent to EUR4.13 billion. Two-thirds of the value of imports came from the EU, with one-third coming from Great Britain, data showed.
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