IEA 2021 Year at a Glance

Simon McKeever, Chief Executive of the Irish Exporters Association, commented: “2021 proved to be another challenging year for both Irish exporters and importers, amidst the pandemic’s everlasting effect on our society and the challenges still surrounding Ireland’s future trading relationship with the UK in the aftermath of Brexit. Our changing climate has also brought forth a new interest for sustainable business practices among our members.

Irish businesses are increasingly aware of the importance of transitioning towards sustainable supply chains, and to help with this we have created four new dedicated training courses: carbon literacy, carbon calculation and reporting, carbon reduction, and sustainable procurement. We are delighted to see so many businesses and employees gaining essential skills and know-how to successfully navigate the new challenges of international trading.

We were also very pleased to see the high numbers of attendees during our Regional Network Meetings, which continue to be held online. In 2021, we hosted 20 of these meetings, which provided support as well as a platform for Irish manufacturers to share their concerns and needs.  This regular dialogue with our members helps to inform our various submissions and recommendations to our national government and the European Union.

In 2022, we will continue to innovate and work hard to develop creative and lasting solutions to better assist our growing member base on their issues related to international trade; and we will, as always, remain the voice of the Irish export industry in government, both on a national and European level.”