Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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330. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his contribution to the decisions by the EU to retaliate to the threatened US tariffs; his contribution to the selection of targets for this retaliation with the selection of US bourbon manufacturers putting the Irish whiskey sector in danger of further retaliatory tariffs from the US; and the manner in which he has fed into, contributed or influenced these decisions. [14190/25]

Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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As the operational aspects of the transfer of particular files and functions regarding trade policy have been managed between my Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the recent period, this matter is one that I am updated regularly on.

The Government regrets the US Administration’s decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium from the EU and other trade partners. It leaves the EU with no choice but to take the necessary and proportionate action to defend the interests of Irish and European businesses, workers and citizens.

The EU has announced its response to these tariffs, and work is ongoing regarding their implementation. It is now planned that these will come into effect in mid-April. I welcome that the Commission has extended its implementation by this extra period to create additional negotiation space with the US.

I also welcome that the EU has made clear that it is open to fine-tuning its rebalancing measures so that they strike the right balance of products, taking into account the interests of EU producers, exporters, and consumers. The EU stands ready to find a negotiated solution with the US. Its countermeasures can be reversed at any time if such a solution is found.

The US has responded to the EU announcement of countermeasures, specifically with regard to beverages and spirits. To date, there have been no steps to give this legal effect, but it is of course a serious and concerning development. The Irish agrifood sector is one of our most important indigenous sectors and Irish Whiskey and other beverages are a key part of that sector.

My officials are engaging very actively with the Commission and other EU Member States on what is a very serious and evolving situation. The Government has made our concerns clearly known to the EU including in relation to the dairy and spirit drinks sectors. The Tánaiste spoke with Commissioner Šefcovic recently and is in close contact with EU Trade Ministers. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and his officials have also been engaging with relevant stakeholders on this issue and has highlighted their specific concerns to the Government. There will be further engagement with the Commission at different levels in the period ahead.

Ultimately, the Irish position is clear: we want to avoid a series of escalating tit-for tat tariffs. They are economically counterproductive and would disrupt deeply integrated supply chains, which benefit businesses and employers on both sides of the Atlantic.