What is Ireland's main export?

Answer 1

More than 60% of Ireland's exports to the U.S. are medicinal, dental and pharmaceutical preparations while almost 30% of Irish imports from America are civilian aircraft.

In 2007, Ireland exported some US$125 billion worth of goods led by machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, live animals and animal products. Topping the list of customers for Irish exports were the United States (18.7% of total exports), the United Kingdom (17.9%), Belgium (14.4%), Germany (7.8%), France (5.8%) and Italy (4.2%).

Irish imports last year were valued at $90.4 billion. Leading suppliers of Irish imports included the U.K. (37.5% of total imports), the U.S. (11.5%), Germany (9.6%) and the Netherlands (4.6%).

Given that Ireland is a favoured host country for the branch operations of large multinationals like IBM, Dell and Sun Life Financial, it should come as no surprise that data processing equipment as well as other machinery and equipment are top imports into Ireland. Other Celtic imports include chemicals, petroleum, petroleum products, textiles and clothing.