As you may know, in terms of trade with the EU, Germany ranks jointly as the 2nd largest market for Irish exports, and is the 3rd largest source of Irish imports.1 Our close economic links with Germany are important, particularly in the present environment in which the German economy continues to grow and absorb our exports.
The major threat to our future growth prospects now comes from the international economy, not from domestic factors. The list of domestic factors which provided underlying resilience  BIS Review 63/2001  3  a year ago still applies.