Exports: $66 billion (f.o.b., 1999 est.)
Exports - commodities: machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products
Exports - partners: EU 68% (UK 22%, Germany 15%, France 8%), US 15% (1998)
Imports: $44 billion (c.i.f., 1999 est.)
Imports - commodities: data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals; petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing
Imports - partners: EU 54% (UK 31%, Germany 6%, France 5%), US 16%,
Japan 7%, Singapore 4% (1998)
Debt - external: $11 billion (1998)
Economic aid - donor: ODA, $240 million (1999)
Currency: 1 Irish pound = 100 pence
Exchange rates: Irish pounds per US$1 - 0.9865 (January 2000), 0.9374 (1999), 0.7014 (1998), 0.6588 (1997), 0.6248 (1996), 0.6235 (1995) note: on 1 January 1999, the European Union introduced a common currency the euro, which is now being used at a fixed rate of 0.787564 Irish pounds per euro; the euro has replaced the pound in many financial and business transactions; it will replace the local currency in consenting countries for all transactions in 2002