Ireland's trade surplus hit a record high in 2011, increasing by 3.0 percent to 44.697 billion euros ($58.347 billion) compared with the previous year, official data showed on Friday. Exports rose by 4.0 percent to 92.936 billion euros, while imports grew 5.0 percent to 48.238 billion euros, the Central Statistics Office said in a statement.
The CSO said it was "the highest annual surplus on record." Ireland, a eurozone member which has received an EU-IMF bailout worth 85 billion euros, is relying heavily on exports to revive its fortunes after the economy was battered by the global financial crisis. Ireland's trade surplus meanwhile surged 20 percent to 3.246 billion euros in January on a 12-month basis, the CSO added on Friday.