Hope in trade figures

New trade figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) have sparked fresh hope of a domestic economic recovery.

The seasonally adjusted figures show that our highest trade surplus of the year was recorded in June, as exports rose at a faster rate than imports. The CSO said the surplus was just over €4bn, with exports worth €7.9bn and imports of €3.82bn.

The Government has hailed the figures as evidence our export-led growth will drag Ireland out of its economic crisis.