Total trade in goods and services between the UK and Ireland was £87.4 billion in 2025, a 5% increase from the previous year. UK exports to Ireland grew to £55.4 billion in 2025, a 7.3% increase.
- As the only native English-speaking country in the EU, Ireland provides a unique advantage for global firms navigating European operations.
- Dublin access to the EU single market, strategic time zone for Asia-America’s communication, and a highly skilled, educated, and productive workforce make it an attractive city.
- The city offers a favourable tax environment, a strong start-up ecosystem, and a business-friendly environment that has attracted many multinational corporations such as Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Salesforce.
During the mission delegates will take part in a market briefing session and site visit on day 1 and take part in an event and b2b meetings organised by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce.
The key sector opportunities for Scottish businesses are:
- Food & Drink
- Technology
- Professional Services
- Retail
- Life Sciences
- Creative Industries
Cost
This mission is heavily subsidized by the Edinburgh Chamber and successful companies will need to contribute a £200 non-refundable registration fee to join the mission. Delegates will need to cover the costs of flights, accommodation, food and taxis (in the region of £850). If you would like any further information or are interested in attending then email international@edinburghchamber.co.uk by Wednesday 17th August 26.
"I wanted to formally thank you for your work in facilitating the visit and meetings in Shenzhen last week. It has proved to be a most valuable visit for BSLM, and we certainly could not have opened the doors that you did on our own. I met again with one of the b2b companies on Monday morning, and we now have a fortnightly meeting scheduled for the foreseeable future with a view to finalising agreements around education and the World Lifestyle Medicine Organisation conference in Shenzhen.”
For Edinburgh based SMEs, Business Gateway Edinburgh is offering an Export Grant which contributes to help cover mission costs (up to £850 for the Dublin mission dependent on costs). If successful, this grant can help offset travel, accommodation and other mission costs. Contact the team: bglothian@bgateway.com to have a Business Gateway Adviser allocated to your business if you don’t have one already, and to get further guidance and an application form.
*Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, as part of the International Trade Partnership with the Scottish Government.