“We discussed the EU-US Joint Statement and its implementation, following the political agreement reached in Scotland last month.

“Now that the Joint Statement has provided the necessary certainty on the 15% tariff that EU exporters will face, our meeting provided an early opportunity to discuss the implementation of the Agreement and the possibility to expand the list of goods that are exempt from the 15% tariff rate, including for the spirits and medtec sectors.

“We also discussed the ongoing Section 232 investigations on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors and welcomed the clarity provided for these sectors including that there is an agreement that generic medicines should remain at current rates.

“While the US tariff on the EU will be capped at 15% following the conclusion of the investigation, I made the case for these sectors to be treated on a zero for zero basis, which has underpinned an extremely successful and strong EU-US sectoral trading relationship over a number of decades.

“We exchanged views on the impact of the expansion of the section 232 measures on steel and aluminium which are a concern to our manufacturers.

“We also discussed the agreement as it relates to Northern Ireland and the all island economy and agreed to stay engaged on this matter.

“I welcome that the framework of the agreement has provided a platform for dialogue with the EU and the US. I will continue to make the case for Irish businesses with the US on a bilateral basis and also with Commissioner Šefčovič who leads on trade negotiations with the US.”