Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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37. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment how he proposes to engage with President Trump’s administration in the United States with regard to mooted tariffs on European Union produce; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4364/25]

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North-Central, Fianna Fail)
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43. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he is preparing a response strategy in the event of the trade relationship between Ireland and the United States taking a turn for the worse; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6790/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 37 and 43 together.

As the operational aspects of the transfer of particular files and functions regarding trade policy will be managed between my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade over the coming period, this matter is one that I am updated regularly on given the United States is our largest trading and investment partner. This mutually beneficial trade relationship exceeds €1 trillion annually and employs hundreds of thousands of people on both sides of the Atlantic. Total EU-US trade annually is over €1.6 trillion.

The Government is taking action to maintain a constructive relationship with the United States and to highlight the powerful, mutual benefit of the transatlantic alliance. We will work with EU partners to measure the impact of recent announcements of tariffs across all sectors, and we will calibrate our response on that basis.

Our reaction to tariffs will be motivated by protecting the interests of European and Irish businesses, workers and consumers from unjustified measures. I participated in the joint informal meeting of EU Compet and FAC (Trade) Ministers earlier this month, where we discussed the EU-US trade and investment relationship, while the Tánaiste took part in a meeting of EU Trade Ministers last week in which there was a strong consensus on the need for EU unity and solidarity, something I have also conveyed to Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maroš Šefcovic in our engagements.

At the start of this month the Government decided to establish a US-based Strategic Economic Advisory Panel (SEAP), as part of our efforts to intensify our outreach in the United States. In line with the commitment in the Programme for Government, this Panel will be composed of senior decision makers in key business sectors in the US. The Panel will provide insights on strategic economic opportunities for Ireland in the critically important and mutually beneficial US-Ireland economic relationship.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade will be responsible for the organisational and logistical aspects of establishing and engaging with the SEAP, supported by the Departments of the Taoiseach; Foreign Affairs and Trade; Enterprise, Tourism and Employment; and Finance.

The work of the SEAP will be complemented by the establishment of a Consultative Group on International Trade Policy. The objective of the Consultative Group is to provide a structured mechanism for engaging key stakeholders in informing the Government’s approach to trade considering evolving global trade dynamics.

Additionally, I am of the view that the EU must continue its programme of FTA negotiations, finalising current negotiations and updating existing FTAs.