The EU is currently walking a diplomatic tightrope, seeking to avoid a trade war with the United States. With an economy that’s highly export-orientated, Ireland could be hard hit.
Ireland’s Taoiseach Micheál Martin will travel to the White House next month to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the US President.
While the two countries share close cultural ties, one major disagreement will hang in the air.
The value of Irish goods sent to the US was €72.6 billion in 2024, a 34% increase compared to the previous year.
Imports of goods from the US to Ireland, meanwhile, amounted to €22.5bn.
Such a surplus has left Ireland – along with other European nations – in the crosshairs of the new US administration.
President Trump views such a trading structure exploitative, although economists argue it’s partly linked to strong domestic consumption in the US.
One looming threat for the EU is a 25% tariff on goods sent across the Atlantic, a policy not yet confirmed.
As leaders seek to avoid such a clash, some have more to lose than others.
“Relative to the other EU countries, Ireland is more exposed to tariffs because it exports proportionately more to the US,” Supriya Kapoor, associate professor of finance at Trinity College Dublin, told Euronews.
“This is a very tricky path that Europe will have to strategically tread.”
Watch the full interview above.
