The Minister for Labour, Trade and Consumer Affairs, Mr. Tom Kitt T.D., today (Thursday, 18th March, 1999) welcomed "the very positive trade performance" recorded in the January to November 1998 trade figures which were released today by the Central Statistics Office. The value of merchandise exports for the period January to November 1998 totalled over £41 billion, an increase of 28% over the same period in 1997. The trade surplus for January to November 1998 totalled nearly £12.8 billion, a 51% increase over the same period in 1997.

Merchandise exports for the month of November 1998 totalled £4.3 billion, the highest monthly export figure recorded to date and an increase of 34% over the figure recorded for November 1997. The trade surplus for November 1998 totalled nearly £1.5 billion, the highest monthly trade surplus recorded and almost double the figure recorded for November 1997.

Markets showing particularly strong growth for exports for the first eleven months of 1998 included Germany, United States, Belgium, UK and France. The UK, followed closely by Germany, United States and France are our largest export markets.

Industrial sectors showing very strong merchandise export growth were computers and chemicals.