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China to become top export destination for Ireland

It is expected the UK, USA and Germany will remain the top three destinations but countries

NEW TRADE FORECASTS show growth in exports to Asia will support an overall increased performance from Ireland with China overtaking France and Japan to become the country’s fourth largest export destination by 2030.

Although Ireland’s main export markets of the UK, USA and Germany will remain the top three destinations, the main growth areas for its exports lie in emerging Asia, according to HSBC’s latest Global Connections trade forecast. This is evidenced by forecasted growth in exports to China of 11 per cent per annum in the period 2016-2030.

Alongside China, the forecasts also show India and Vietnam as the fastest-growing export markets to 2030, with Malaysia and Indonesia also becoming increasingly important.

Managing Director and Ireland Head of HSBC Alan Duffy said emerging markets are “developing at a phenomenal pace and are set to reshape world trade patterns over the next 20 years”. He said understanding which sectors are growing allows businesses to plan ahead and capitalise on trends.

For example, a shift towards the production of higher-value goods, particularly evident in Asia, means that developed nations will also need to evolve the goods they export, operating increasingly at the higher-end of sectors. This means that Ireland’s export prospects depend to a large degree on the inward investment in pharmaceutical and chemical manufacturing and hi-tech sectors that have driven rapid growth in the past as well as increasing sophistication from Ireland’s home-grown exporters.

Ireland’s overall export performance is expected to be relatively favourable compared to its Western European peers. Growth in merchandise exports from Ireland is, for example is forecast to outstrip the UK, France and Germany in the period 2021-2030.

Exports to the main markets in Europe (excluding Russia) are forecast to grow by about 3 per cent per year in 2013-15, but should then pick up to about 4 per cent in 2016-20. Exports to Asia (excluding Japan) and North America are also expected to accelerate in 2016-20, reflecting the pace of demand in key emerging markets and a gradual strengthening in prospects for the US.

As well as the main emerging markets in Asia, export markets such as Turkey and some in the Middle East will also grow strongly in the period ahead, including the United Arab Emirates, to which Irish exports are forecast to grow 11 per cent per annum in 2013-15 and then some 7-8 per cent per year in 2016-30. Exports to Saudi Arabia and Egypt are seen growing by 8 per cent per annum in 2021-30.

Ireland’s main export strength in the coming years will be in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, scientific apparatus and ICT equipment. Chemical exports are forecast to contribute over 30 per cent to the increase in total exports throughout the entire forecast period, while the contribution from pharmaceuticals to the increase in exports will rise from 26 per cent in 2013-15 to 30 per cent in 2016-20 and then to 34 per cent in 2020-30, overtaking chemicals. Shipments of scientific apparatus will contribute around 6-7 per cent to the rise in total exports in the period 2013-30.

In China, export growth in Information & Communications Technology and Industrial Machinery gathers pace. This balances a declining rate of growth in sectors such as Textiles, giving rise to opportunities for companies in the smaller, faster growing countries around the region to win contracts to produce these more basic goods.

Other countries making the move up the supply chain are Malaysia and Argentina. Malaysia’s top exportable goods will shift from lower-value sectors such as Animals and Vegetable Oils to higher-end industrial machinery, which will make the largest contribution to Malaysia’s export growth by 2030. Argentina’s top export sectors will change from Animal Products to Transport Equipment and Industrial Machinery.

You can read the whole forecast here.

Read: Almost 3,000 live cattle to be exported to Libya tomorrow>
Read: Irish exports at highest levels since 2002>

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14 Comments
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    Mute Philip Kenna
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    Feb 27th 2013, 8:10 AM

    I hope the stuff we export to them is better quality than the crap they export to us!

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    Mute RP McMurphy
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    Feb 27th 2013, 8:31 AM

    @Philip. You obviously choose to buy the crap cheap low-end products. China has a wide and varied medium and high end export market too….you just have to pay for it Philip!!

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    Mute Declan Conway
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    Feb 27th 2013, 2:50 PM

    And nevermind the fact they are doing to Tibet what Oliver Cromwell did to Ireland.

    But who cares as long as we’re making money, eh?

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    Mute seamus mcdermott
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    Feb 28th 2013, 10:16 AM

    Tell Tesco to get some high quality Chinese goods on their shelves. Phillip isn’t an importer, Mr. Murphy.

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    Mute Begrudgy
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    Feb 27th 2013, 7:26 AM

    Lets hope the oil price (transport) stays at a reasonable price so for all these export forecasts for the next 15 years.

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    Mute Paul Doyle
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    Feb 27th 2013, 7:52 AM

    I thought our top export was our children.
    Very little here for them, top export destinations UK, USA, Australia.

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    Mute Justin Devaney
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    Feb 27th 2013, 2:27 PM

    I’m going to open an Irish take away in china, I’ll stand behind the counter while drunk Chinese people abuse me and hold their eyes open really wide with their fingers.

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    Mute Sean Beag
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    Feb 27th 2013, 7:35 AM

    Great opportunity for entrepreneurs. Just a matter of figuring out what Ireland has that China wants. I believe there was a lot of interest over there in setting up a horse and greyhound racing industry.

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    Mute Tony O Donovan
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    Feb 27th 2013, 7:57 AM

    Ssshush ..a .chinese whisper …. but Could we export Human Rights to China?

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    Mute KONG Digital
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    Feb 27th 2013, 7:37 AM

    Very informative Michelle! Any company’s looking to trade in the Chinese market should get in touch with us. We offer an A-Z solution to localise your business and market your product or service in China.

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    Mute Keith Wizzy
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    Feb 27th 2013, 7:59 AM

    I think it’s great that you’re using the communist model too and with it all these services you’re advertising to exporters are free.

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    Mute Fred O'Connor
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    Feb 27th 2013, 9:14 AM

    No wonder HSBC is excited about emerging markets in Asia. More places for them to launder drug money.

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    Mute RP McMurphy
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    Feb 27th 2013, 4:02 PM

    @Declan Conway. A bit of a throwaway comment there Declan.
    I was not aware of the fact that Chinese businessmen and women were doing anything to Tibet? Except trading with them and buying their domestically produced meats, wool, grain and other commodity goods to allow them eat, buy clothing, build and generally live a better life through trade. Mixing politics with business in any comment is paramount to trolling. With that logic, nobody should trade with the Brits or the Yanks or the……

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    Mute seamus mcdermott
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    Feb 28th 2013, 10:20 AM

    Wake up and smell the coffee. Politics is mixed with business in every conceivable way in the real world. Are you making the rules for others in this forum? And stop giving yourself the thumbs up. LOL.

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