The Changing Commodity Structure and Destination of Irish Exports 1972-90

Using a variant of shift-share analysis, this paper examines how the changing commodity structure and market destination pattern of Irish exports has influenced the share of Irish exports in world exports over the 1972-90 period. Results show that up until 1985 the success of Irish exporters in increasing market share went beyond the mere products they were exporting, or the markets they were exporting to. However, since then, commodity composition and market destination have become increasingly important influences on the share of Irish exports in world export markets.