Great Britain remains NI’s largest external market for Trade
Date published:
Topics:
Business, economy and trade,
Trade
NISRA today published the first of a new periodic series providing a comprehensive analysis of Northern Ireland's current trade and movement of goods with Great Britain.
Key findings
Great Britain remains NI’s largest external market (i.e. outside of NI) equating to 17.5% (£17.1bn) of total sales and 26.1% (16.2bn) of total purchases.
Northern Ireland sent 9.2 million tonnes of sea freight to Great Britain in 2023, while receiving 10.2 million tonnes from GB.
- Total sea freight crossings between Northern Ireland and GB accounted for 56.6% of all Irish Sea freight movements, with Ireland-GB movements making up the remaining 43.4%.
- Air freight between Northern Ireland and Great Britain totalled 22,172 tonnes in 2023, representing 42.6% of all Irish Sea air freight.
- There were 170,122 air traffic movements between airports in NI and GB, and Ireland and GB in 2023.
- An estimated 20,026 vessel arrivals were recorded at Northern Ireland and Ireland sea ports in 2023, including arrivals from GB and other international locations.
About the publication
The full report provides analysis of:
- Northern Ireland Economic Trade Statistics (NIETS)
- NI Supply-Use Tables
- Movement of Goods
- Trade balances and flows
- HGV crossings and freight volumes
- Air and sea transport statistics
Further Information
Read the full report: Overview of Northern Ireland Trade with Great Britain