Statement from the Tánaiste on US announcement on Tariffs

I deeply regret the announcement on tariffs made by President Trump tonight.

As I have been saying for some time, there are no winners when it comes to tariffs - they are bad for consumers, put jobs at risk, and drive up costs and uncertainty for business.

The government has been actively preparing for this possibility for some time. As we have been doing all along, we will seek to control what we can control and influence what we can influence while drawing on unity with our EU partners as our greatest strength.

Together with my government colleagues, my officials and the EU we will be reviewing the situation and the best way to respond in the coming hours and days. The EU will have to respond in a proportionate manner which protects our citizens, our workers and our businesses.

The EU and Ireland stands ready to find a negotiated solution with the US. Negotiation and dialogue is always the best way forward.

I must be honest tonight that a 20 per cent blanket tariff on goods from all EU countries could have a significant effect on Irish investment and the wider economy and the impact of what has been announced is likely to be felt for some time. These tariffs are in addition to the tariffs on steel and aluminium (25%) and auto sector (25%) that the US announced last month.

It represents a huge challenge to Irish exporters to the US across all sectors. Work is already underway to mitigate this and we are already taking concrete steps to boost our domestic competitiveness and investing in our infrastructure.

The government is accelerating preparations for an Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity with Minister Burke leading this work. This plan will focus on domestic policy measures which can make the Irish economy more competitive and resilient to economic shocks.

Our relationship with the United States is long, deep and meaningful and I want to be clear that it will endure far beyond any difficulties we may encounter in the time ahead. We will continue to emphasise the fact that the US-EU relationship is a two-way street. Our economies are interdependent and an extended trade dispute is in no one’s interest. We will continue to seek to engage with the US administration in a constructive way.

We know that the EU stands ready to find a negotiated solution with the US.

Next Monday, I will attend a meeting of Foreign Affairs Council on Trade in Luxembourg where I will be discussing today’s developments and our collective response with my EU counterparts and Commissioner Šefčovič.

In advance of this I will hold a meeting of the Trade Forum this Friday. This will be an opportunity for me to engage with business representatives in response to tonight’s announcements.

We must remain calm and measured in our response. Ultimately every disagreement has to end in agreement and we will be continuing to advocate and argue for negotiated solutions. This is how we will end this dispute and this will be my focus along with that of my colleagues in the time ahead.