Overall, exports from Ireland to Great Britain decreased by 10% to just under €16bn year on year, while imports from Britain to Ireland dropped by 21% to €16.6bn.
Unlike the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland must observe EU trade rules as part of the 2020 Brexit deal, which was aimed at keeping borders invisible for trade on the island of Ireland.
A near-€3bn drop in chemical exports from Ireland to the UK and a €1.6bn fall in shipments of gas and lubricants from Britain into Ireland contributed to the slump in trade.
While Ireland’s trade with Britain has dropped, trade with Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, continues to flourish.
But trade in this sector was stable last year, with exports from Ireland to Britain up slightly year on year, from €3.9bn to €4.1bn, and up from €2.47bn to €2.67bn in the other direction.
