A small deficit of €290 million was recorded on the current account of the balance of payments for the third quarter of 2002 following a surplus of €209 million in the second quarter.
The deficit on the balance of payments, which measures all monetary flows into and out of the State, widened from a deficit of €55 million for the same quarter in the previous year.
Exports and imports of merchandise both fell in the third quarter, but the traded goods surplus of €10,324 million was €1,087 million up on the previous quarter's surplus of €9,237 million.
Exports of €21,997 million were down €1,036 million on the previous quarter but were up €541 million on the corresponding quarter in 2001. Imports at €11,673 million were also down €2,123 million on the second-quarter figure and lower than the third-quarter figure a year earlier (€12,588 million).
Tourism and travel receipts at €1,251 million also rose by €352 million compared to the previous quarter reflecting the impact of seasonal factors.
Inward portfolio investment of €10 billion was over €12 billion lower than the inflows in the previous quarter. About half of this movement is explained by equity transactions.
Equity investment (principally into IFSC investment funds)of €12,236 million was almost €6.5 billion lower than the second-quarter figure of €18,693 million.
Non-EU investors accounted for almost €8.4 billion or 84 per cent of the overall total invested in Ireland.