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Trade between China and Ireland

In 2024, China exported $12.3 billion to Ireland and imported $17.2 billion. China ran a deficit of $4.9 billion with Ireland, compared with a deficit of $6.8 billion in 2019. Ireland was China’s 36th largest trading partner (0.5% of its trade), and China was Ireland’s 4th (7%).

Summary

China → Ireland
$12.3billion
Ireland → China
$17.2billion
China’s balance
-$4.9billion

Balance

China’s trade balance with Ireland

Trade between China and Ireland grew 69.9-fold since 1995

USD billions (current). China’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 12.3
  • Imports 17.2
  • Balance -4.9

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$351 million$72 million$280 million
1996$394 million$68 million$326 million
1997$482 million$82 million$401 million
1998$731 million$128 million$603 million
1999$687 million$222 million$466 million
2000$819 million$380 million$439 million
2001$968 million$648 million$320 million
2002$1.4 billion$754 million$655 million
2003$2.5 billion$944 million$1.5 billion
2004$3.4 billion$1.2 billion$2.2 billion
2005$4.6 billion$1.5 billion$3.1 billion
2006$5.6 billion$1.6 billion$4 billion
2007$6.4 billion$2 billion$4.5 billion
2008$5.9 billion$2.8 billion$3.1 billion
2009$3.6 billion$3.2 billion$380 million
2010$3.3 billion$3.3 billion-$47 million
2011$3.5 billion$3.6 billion-$30 million
2012$3.5 billion$3.5 billion-$23 million
2013$3.9 billion$3.7 billion$183 million
2014$4.4 billion$3.3 billion$1.1 billion
2015$4.7 billion$3.9 billion$708 million
2016$4.5 billion$5.1 billion-$646 million
2017$4.9 billion$7.6 billion-$2.7 billion
2018$5.4 billion$9.8 billion-$4.4 billion
2019$6 billion$12.8 billion-$6.8 billion
2020$7.4 billion$14 billion-$6.6 billion
2021$9.6 billion$17.3 billion-$7.7 billion
2022$14.5 billion$18.2 billion-$3.7 billion
2023$11.1 billion$17.8 billion-$6.7 billion
2024$12.3 billion$17.2 billion-$4.9 billion

What they sell each other

What China sells to Ireland

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Nitrogen heterocyclic compounds$1.2 billion · 9.5%
    2 thousand tonnes
  2. Cameras and broadcast equipment$1.1 billion · 9%
    2 thousand tonnes
  3. Computer and office machine parts$847 million · 6.9%
    5 thousand tonnes
  4. Computers$819 million · 6.7%
    3 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  5. Amide compounds$441 million · 3.6%
    1 thousand tonnes
  6. Airplanes and helicopters$306 million · 2.5%
    438 tonnes · China’s destinations
  7. Transformers and power supplies$231 million · 1.9%
    6 thousand tonnes
  8. Nucleic acids and other heterocycles$203 million · 1.7%
    216 tonnes
  9. Cars$196 million · 1.6%
    9 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations
  10. Toys$192 million · 1.6%
    14 thousand tonnes · China’s destinations

What Ireland sells to China

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Microchips$5.6 billion · 32.7%
    34 tonnes · Ireland’s destinations
  2. Vaccines, blood and antisera$5 billion · 29.2%
    1 thousand tonnes · Ireland’s destinations
  3. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$1.2 billion · 7.2%
    894 tonnes · Ireland’s destinations
  4. Discs and storage media$706 million · 4.1%
    80 tonnes
  5. Airplanes and helicopters$702 million · 4.1%
    522 tonnes · Ireland’s destinations
  6. Nitrogen heterocyclic compounds$545 million · 3.2%
    47 tonnes
  7. Oxygen heterocyclic compounds$506 million · 2.9%
    44 tonnes
  8. Orthopedic and hearing devices$380 million · 2.2%
    464 tonnes
  9. Malt extract and food mixes$311 million · 1.8%
    17 thousand tonnes
  10. Medical and dental instruments$270 million · 1.6%
    560 tonnes · Ireland’s destinations

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Shanghai to Dublin.

The estimated sea route between Shanghai and Dublin is 14,007 nautical miles (25,940 km) long: ≈ 32.5–41.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Because of the 2024 disruptions, traffic is split: 85% via the Strait of Malacca and Singapore and the Cape of Good Hope (14,007 nautical miles); and 15% via the Strait of Malacca and Singapore, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Gibraltar (10,495 nautical miles).

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$6.5 billion · 21.9%
  2. Air$23.1 billion · 78.1%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

Ireland was China’s 36th largest trading partner (0.5% of its trade), and China was Ireland’s 4th (7%).

Ireland in China’s trade
0.5%
Ireland’s rank among China’s partners
36th
China in Ireland’s trade
7.4%
China’s rank among Ireland’s partners
4th

Compare with

Other partners of China

Other partners of Ireland

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.