Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North-West, Fianna Fail)
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45. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the consequences for Ireland of the current agreed tariffs between the EU and US on all goods Ireland exports to the US; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38156/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The EU-US negotiations are at a critical juncture. Our position has always been clear: tariffs threaten the hugely successful EU-US and Ireland-US relationships and are bad for business, bad for consumers and bad for workers on both side of the Atlantic.

Since April, many Irish exports to the US have been subject to an additional 10% tariff. There has been no similar imposition by the EU. The imposition of these tariffs has had a negative impact on all types of businesses, from multinational companies to small, medium and micro enterprises.

At the Government Trade Forum on 2 July, Minister Paschal Donohoe T.D. presented updated modelling from the Department of Finance of the impacts arising from recent trade developments including on tariffs. The Government’s assessment is that the economy remains robust and will continue to grow in the short to medium term, albeit at a slightly slower pace.

The extension of the deadline for the end of the US pause on higher tariffs from Wednesday 9 July until Friday 1 August allows for further time for negotiations to continue. This is welcome. However, the Commission is working towards reaching an agreement as soon as possible in advance of this.

The EU and Ireland’s objective has always been to find a fair, balanced mutually beneficial negotiated solution, to avoid unnecessary trade tensions, and to facilitate the further development of the EU-US trade and investment relationship. The European Commission is working hard to avoid the imposition of higher tariffs by the US which was originally set for the EU at 20%. The intention has been to limit the impact of the existing 10% baseline tariff but also to avoid any additional tariffs being introduced.