The trade deficit appeared even though services imports from offshore centres plunged compared to 2021, while exports to offshore centres grew, Central Statistics Office (CSO) data show.
Services exports to Europe and the US were also up, particularly for computer services.
Total services exports increased by €39.8bn to €339.6bn between 2021 and 2022.
Total services imports increased by €45.5bn to €339.9bn in the same period.
That left Ireland’s total trade in services with a deficit of €0.2bn in 2022, down from a surplus of €5.4bn in 2021.
The US, UK, Germany and the Netherlands were Ireland’s most significant trading partners when it came to services last year.
Royalties and licences were by far Ireland’s largest services import category last year, accounting for 40pc of total services imports and amounting to €135.9bn in value.
The US is by far Ireland’s largest source of royalties and licence imports, amounting to over €102bn of that total last year, up 14pc compared to 2021.
But royalty and licence imports from Europe – which includes the UK and Switzerland – grew by a massive 47pc compared to 2021 to almost 22bn. However, figures for individual countries, including the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany, were “suppressed for confidentiality reasons” the CSO said.
Research and development services were the second-largest import category, with a value of just over €45bn.
Computer services exports remained Ireland’s largest services export category, by far, accounting for 58pc of total services exports last year, with a value of €195.7bn.
Europe, including the UK, is Ireland’s largest market for computer services exports. Computer services exports to Europe rose 10pc to €98.5bn.
Total services exports to the US grew by 3.2pc to €42.4bn in 2022, mainly due to “other business services” and computer services.
“Other business services” – such as R&D, leasing and legal and accounting services — followed by financial services and insurance are Ireland’s next-largest export categories. Royalties and licenses are Ireland’s fourth-largest services export category, with the US accounting for the bulk of sales.
The fall in imports and increase in total services exports to offshore centres appears to have been driven by royalties and licenses, although individual figures for some categories – including royalties and licenses, repairs and processing and computer services – have been “suppressed for confidentiality reasons” the CSO said.
