Irish exporters will have to become even more flexible in the current year if their sales abroad are to grow, following an extremely disappointing year on the export front in 2003.
The Irish Exporters Association (IEA) said yesterday that total Irish exports fell by 8% last year to Ђ114bn - a Ђ10bn decline on the 2002 figure. Merchandise exports of manufactured goods fell by a staggering 12%, or Ђ11.5bn, to Ђ82.3bn. Only a robust performance by the services sector - primarily software products - saved the year, with a 5% increase in sales to Ђ31.4bn.
John Whelan, chief executive of the IEA, said that the first half of the year was an extremely tough period for the Irish export sector. Information, communications and technology products (ICT exports) fell by approximately 30% over the year as a result of the recession in that sector and the Sars and Iraq factors.
