Albert Dolan (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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202. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade for an update on developments regarding EU-US trade relations. [27441/25]

Brian Stanley (Laois, Independent)
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223. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the plans his Department is putting in place should tariffs imposed by President Trump remain in place long-term once the 90-day pause ends on 8 July 2025. [26773/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 202 and 223 together.

Negotiations remain the focus for both the EU and Ireland and the Commission is fully engaged in seeking to bring forward discussions with the US. A negotiated solution remains very clearly the goal and the preferred outcome. At the same time, we understand the need for the EU to undertake further internal preparations in case negotiations are unsuccessful. This is a sensible and measured approach.

Recent weeks have seen a number of important developments in EU-US trade relations. On 8 May, the Commission published a draft list of proposed of re-balancing measures against the US. The list concerns imports from the US to the EU worth €95 billion, covering a broad range of industrial and agricultural products. In addition to the list of proposed re-balancing measures, the Commission has published a much shorter list of EU goods exported to the US worth €4.4bn, which may be subject to export restrictions. A public consultation is open for comment until 10 June. My Department is coordinating across Government and with stakeholders on the proposed rebalancing measures.

Ireland’s consistent position remains that we need a substantive, calm, measured and comprehensive dialogue with the United States. At a Foreign Affairs Council meeting on Trade on 15 May in Brussels I reiterated this point to the Commission and my EU counterparts.

Since this dispute began, I have been in frequent communication with the European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Maroš Šefcovic. Furthermore, there is ongoing and intensive engagement at an official level with the European Commission to ensure Irish views and sensitivities are understood. This engagement will continue. I and other members of the Government will also continue our outreach on trade issues with our EU counterparts, as well as with the US Administration.

Currently, Irish exporters are subject to additional 10% tariffs and we must be up front that, while the negotiations between the EU and US are advancing, there are still risks of further sectoral tariffs, including due to the section 232 investigations on pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and now aircraft and aircraft parts. The Government and its agencies will continue to support Irish businesses as they navigate this new trading environment.

I welcome engagement between President von der Leyen and President Trump over the weekend. I note the federal court ruling in the US that some of the tariffs imposed by the US administration exceed presidential authority and that the US administration is appealing this ruling. Much uncertainty remains and a number of points remain unclear. What is clear however is that the EU and Ireland will continue to do everything possible to reach a negotiated mutually beneficial agreement with the US.