Exports have increased by 4% according to preliminary figures from the Central Statistics Office for March.

Preliminary figures indicate a seasonally adjusted increase in exports of €272 million from February.

The body says the seasonally adjusted imports decreased by €83 million, resulting in an 11% increase in the adjusted trade surplus.

The main drivers being decreases in the exports of medical and pharmaceutical products of €184 million to €163 million for machinery and transport equipment.

Two-thirds of the value of imports in March of this year came from the EU, with one-third coming from the UK. The USA and China were the main non-EU sources of imports.