2025 was an extraordinary year for international maritime trade. Ireland’s ports and shipping companies operated in an environment of increased geopolitical tension, logistical disruption, and significant policy
development. As a result, decisions affecting trade flows and capacity were shaped as much by external circumstances as by underlying domestic demand.

The relevance of these developments for Ireland is clear. In a highly trade-dependent island economy, disruption to global trade has a direct bearing on the cost, competitiveness and resilience of the seaborne services on which the economy relies. Against this backdrop, it is appropriate to take stock of Irish trade flows and the port infrastructure that supports them. This report provides that assessment, identifying how global influences, domestic demand and structural change interacted across Irish trade flows and port activity in 2025.

With a trade-to-GDP ratio of 246%, Ireland remains one of the most trade-dependent economies in the world and is therefore particularly exposed to shocks in global trade and consequential impacts in shipping and energy markets. As approximately 90% of traded goods by volume move by sea, the performance and resilience of Ireland’s maritime sector are of strategic importance to the national economy.

Despite these pressures, an overarching theme of recent IMTE publications has been one of resilience. At the midpoint of the decade, Irish trade has already weathered the pandemic, the end of the Brexit transition period, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the temporary closure of Holyhead, each of which placed significant pressure on trade flows and supply chains. Continued population growth, changing trade patterns, the rising share of unitised freight and the energy transition are placing new demands on our maritime industry, highlighting the importance of capacity provision, operational efficiency and long-term infrastructure planning.