Seasonally adjusted figures from the Central Statistics Office show a strong increase in exports in May compared with the previous month.
Exports rose by 17% to €7,983m, while imports were up 6% to €4,822m. Exports and imports had both fallen sharply in April.
For the first four months of 2006, however, exports were just 1% ahead of the same period last year. Medical and pharmaceutical exports were up 7%, but chemicals were down 13%.
Imports were up 6% in the same four-month period, with imports of petrol and related products jumping by 32%. Imports of other transport equipment - which includes aircraft - dropped 50%. Imports from China rose by 33% to just over €1 billion.
