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REACTING TO TONIGHT’S sweeping tariffs from the US, the Taoiseach has said there is “no justification” to the measures and maintained that Ireland will “weather this storm”.
Micheál Martin said that the imposition of 20% tariffs on exports from the EU “is bad for the world economy” and will impact more than €4.2 billion worth of goods and services are traded between the EU and the US daily.
One sigh of relief was that expected tariffs on pharmaceutical products did not take place, although they may yet feature in future sector specific levies.
“I deeply regret the US decision to impose 20% tariffs on imports from across the European Union,” Martin said.
“We see no justification for this. More than €4.2 billion worth of goods and services are traded between the EU and the US daily.
“Disrupting this deeply integrated relationship benefits no one. Tariffs drive inflation, hurt people on both sides of the Atlantic, and put jobs at risk.”
Martin added that there is “no doubt” that these tariffs will have an “adverse impact”, but said he would be continuing to urge the EU aims for a “proportionate” response.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will deliver a statement at 5am Brussels time (4am Irish time) tomorrow to outline the initial response.
“Now is a time for dialogue, and I believe that a negotiated way forward is the only sensible one,” Martin said.
“A confrontation is in no one’s interests. Ireland will be a strong advocate for an outcome which enhances the existing and strong transatlantic trading relationship,” he said.
Tánaiste and Trade Minister Simon Harris struck a more downbeat note, saying that there are “no winners” in a tariff war: “They are bad for consumers, put jobs at risk, and drive up costs and uncertainty for business.”
He added: “I must be honest tonight that a 20% blanket tariff on goods from all EU countries could have a significant effect on Irish investment and the wider economy and the impact of what has been announced is likely to be felt for some time.”
These tariffs are in addition to the tariffs on steel and aluminium (25%) and auto sector (25%) that the US announced last month.
Harris said he will meet with EU counterparts next Monday to continue negotiations on the response to Trump – which is expected to be announced in a fortnight – and added that he believes an agreement can be found.
“Ultimately every disagreement has to end in agreement and we will be continuing to advocate and argue for negotiated solutions. This is how we will end this dispute and this will be my focus along with that of my colleagues in the time ahead,” Harris said.
He added that there is “no doubt” that these tariffs will have an “adverse impact”, but said he would be continuing to urge the EU aims for a “proportionate” response.
“Now is a time for dialogue, and I believe that a negotiated way forward is the only sensible one,” Martin said.
“A confrontation is in no one’s interests. Ireland will be a strong advocate for an outcome which enhances the existing and strong transatlantic trading relationship,” he said.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said on social media that “safeguarding jobs, helping Irish businesses to grow in global markets and ensuring the all Ireland economy continues to grow at pace” would need to be priorities.
My priority is to defend Irish national interests. That means safeguarding jobs, helping Irish businesses to grow in global markets and ensuring the all Ireland economy continues to grow at pace.
— Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) April 2, 2025
The government needs to do better at what is within their control - supporting…
Irish business groups have been reacting to the US tariffs unveiled by Donald Trump tonight in his much-vaunted ‘Liberation Day’, with all calling for the EU to urgently find a way to reach a negotiation with the White House.
The Irish Business and Employers Confederation (Ibec) chief executive Danny McCoy said the group was “deeply disappointed” by the US decision to impose 20% tariffs on exports from the European Union.
McCoy said that the tariffs will present challenges for a number of sectors, resulting in a “net overall export impact of around 2–3% in the short-term”.
Ireland’s economic position should provide the “necessary cushion to absorb slower growth”, McCoy added.
“We now urge the Irish Government and the European Commission, to act with urgency to find a negotiated solution with the US administration,” McCoy said.
“Government must also work with business to assess the potential consequences for the Irish economy resulting from the imposition of US tariffs and the likely EU response to these tariffs.”
McCoy added that the Government “must advocate for a proportionate and measured EU response”, informed by supply chains, strategic considerations and the “broader implications of any retaliatory measures” taken against the US.
The Irish Whiskey Association was highly concerned by the announcement and its impact on Irish Whiskey, spirits and liqueurs in the USA, calling a tariff of 20% an “existential threat” to the Irish spirits’ sector.
“The effects of this tariff will be immediate. Should an appropriate resolution not be found, this tariff may have a detrimental effect on the position of the category in the US market, undoing decades of success and growth,” the group said, adding that the US has been the “engine of growth” for the sector thanks to 41% of Irish drinks exported there every year.
In an initial reaction to the announcement of tariffs, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) said they will leave Ireland at a “competitive disadvantage” given the impact on Irish products on the US market, including major brands such as Kerrygold.
“The fact that New Zealand only has a 10% tariff for dairy products and the UK only has a 10% tariff on drinks, while the EU will have 20% tariffs, will leave us at a competitive disadvantage against some of our biggest competitors in these two sectors,” the IFA said.
In a statement tonight, Ian Talbot, CEO of Chambers Ireland said the tariffs present immediate challenges but that it is essential Ireland and the EU respond with “calm and resolve”.
He said Ireland and the EU should prioritise strategies that enhance our competitiveness and strengthen our trade engagement, rather than escalating tensions.
He added that empowering businesses to sell goods and provide services in other markets remains critical to mitigating the impact of tariffs.
“With the right approach, this challenge can become a catalyst for progress,” Talbot said.
But he added: “Government must closely monitor the impacts, particularly on SMEs, and consider measures to support viable businesses as they re-engineer their business models.”
Talbot also called on the Government to pursue an “urgent, relentless focus on the delivery of vital infrastructure”.
“Delivering on what we can control has never been more vital,” he added.
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FFG will ‘find a way’ out of this by bending ordinary people over just like they did the last time
@Spartacus Ireland: exactly , it certainly won’t ask the main men in Pfizer who made all the billions on the vaccine to help out ,.just like us clowns helped out with the”" 2 year max”" USC tax
That Rian lad will be along shortly with carpet burns on his knees.
@Anthony Curran: NOT to mention an Brown Nose!
The snary head on him
Forget about “dialogue” Michael. Trump doesn’t do dialogue. The rest of the world is bigger than the US. Make Ireland competitive, get rid of all these Mickey Mouse hangouts for political populism and run a tight ship again.
Mihall didn’t crawl enough. He’s only an amateur at it really. Pity he doesn’t know what herr putin has on the tangerine man/r
@Paul: Well he’s done a lot more than the head the balls on here like your good self.
@Paul: I think you’re wrong. I don’t like the way FFG run this country day to day, but I reckon they’re the right gang for a situation like this. Sleeveens are born for it. Trump is the major amateur here. Mr Bankrupsy himself and his loon financial advisor Paul Navarro who’s a joke in economic economic circles.
@Louis Jacob: FF let the country get screwed seven ways to Sunday in 2008. Adding FG to the mix means we get screwed there and back again
@Oh Mammy: What happened in 2008 had every bit as much to do with FG as it did FF and it actually would have been worse if FG had been in power in 2008 based on their budget proposals during the 00s calling for higher tax cuts than we already had. It wasn’t entirely their fault though. That was a global credit collapse. This is different and I think FFG are best placed to deal with it. There will only be losers but I predict Trump will be a bust flush come midterms 26. Only time will tell.
@Louis Jacob: read Ship of Fools by Fintan O Toole. They are ALL clowns. The banks got away with what they did because there was not a single brain cell in government at the time. They did
not understand the risk the banks were putting on their books. NOT A CLUE. Read the part about the head of the central bank. Beyond a joke. Fast forward to today. These clowns have all our eggs in one basket, made of dry reeds on top of a leaking kerosene tank with a bunch of pyromaniacs funded by NGOs running around it juggling torches. They have no clue how it works.
@Tim Brennan: Please explain to the rest of us what great feats, in you head anyway, has MM achieved that in anyway have made our lives better. I am dying to hear this.
One good thing is these tariffs help smoke out all the traitors in Ireland whose loyalty is with Mr. Trump.
@Jacintha Dumbrell: Very few of them would have the balls to say in public what they on say here and if they did, they’d hardly be the type of people anyone pays attention to anyway. We all know the type. Kind of harmless in their way. You can’t fix stoop!d.
@Louis Jacob: Very true, poor deluded fools.
@Jacintha Dumbrell: i am a traitor because I ask a question? I want to know why someone would not want to tax someone is taxing them? This is predictable. The reason I ask the question is that I want to know why gobsh!tes in government could not see this and act to reduce the risk. I think you are right about traitors but I think you are looking for them in the wrong place…..mmm
@Jacintha Dumbrell: You really need to stay off the Gunja weed, seriously!
Congratulations President Trump on highlighting the Irish TAX scam love to see it over.
@Rian O’Sullivan: Another one who doesn’t understand what a tariff is
@Rian O’Sullivan: Tell us What American Goods You Bought Lately? Answer on a Stamp!
@Mick Hanna: it’s a tax on eu goods being imported to USA, not a tax on American goods
@Liam Collins: My Question Stands!
Everyone can play their part. Get rid of your amazon app. Buy local. It should be an EU directive to show where your product is manufactured. Avoid where possible anything US built. It needs a European response. This buffoon dosen’t follow logic.
Bow down to Micheál Martin Trump… Why won’t America accept that FF and FG became FFG so that beats everything on planet Earth.
Zero action ,zero credibility, zero accountability.
conor mcgregor unfortunately
@sakk sa: What you talkin bout Willis?
@Anthony Curran: stormy weather !
@sakk sa: More Stormy Daniels if you ask me!
EU charge 39% tariffs on the US. What Trump is doing seems completely fair.
@Unridden Ana: no they don’t lol
@Unridden Ana: They don’t. I suppose you think the previous election was ‘rigged’ as well just because Trump said so?! Don’t believe this mans lies. Its just another one of his false claims to make it look justified.
Trump is foolhardy for lobbying 20% tariffs on the European Union, but let’s not pretend that this was unprovoked. The EU already slaps heavy tariffs on a wide variety of American products. These include a 10% tariff on cars, a 50% tariff on dairy products, a 20% tariff on cereal grains, a 25% tariff on alcohol and a 20% tariff on steel and aluminium among others. The EU recently increased the tariff on whiskey to 50% in response to Trump mulling over but not actually implementing any new tariffs on alcohol from the EU. You don’t put out a fire by adding more fuel to it. However, that’s exactly what the EU has done and now they are reaping the blowback from Trump. They’ve made no attempts to try and bring him to the negotiating table so that discussions on equalising tariffs could happen.
@William Jennings: What date did the 50% tariff on whiskey come into effect?
@Jason Memail: As of yesterday morning, the 50% tariff on American whiskey is already in effect.
@William Jennings: Delayed until April 13th, at least.
@Jason Memail: The price changes have already taken effect though. Whiskey prices have already increased as producers and suppliers brace for the impact of the EU’s actions. So yes, while the EU has slightly adjusted the date that they kick in, prices shot up yesterday anyway and the tariffs might as well have officially just kicked in on the 1st of April as planned. It’s an unacceptable act of provocation from the EU.
@William Jennings: Can you state the source of your claims??!
@Steve Davis: Which of the claims I made would you like me to specifically give a source for you? Everything I said can be easily accessed online but I can give you specific websites if you wish.
And to think Ireland fought the Apple tax bill lol. We are going to need every last cent of it. People of Ireland have alot to answer for with their pathetic voting. FFG at all costs will have serious consequences for our future generation. Luckily for them it will never be reported on!
@Dan The Man: and made €25bn each of the last 3 or 4 years. SF wanted to take the original one off €14bn.
The EU will see this as an opportunity to once and for all destroy the tax haven economy here. Double blow for Ireland. :) Tech giants are next to go.
Why? Why NOT say We don’t care and Will NOT Import US products at this time! What Really IS SO Important above them! We Can do Better with Canada…our European Neighbours and Asia….GOOD NIGHT AMERICA!
So what has all the trump lovers in Ireland got to say now ???
@Ned: Well Ned, speaking for myself and no one else. Trump doesn’t give a fiddlers flute about you or I. He got elected on promises, which it looks like hes carrying out every one of them. Unlike the shower of bowsie’s in the Dáil. Will take time for America to recover from the disastrous Biden term. Americans already have more money in their pockets and Trump is only 3 months in. I can only see gloom and doom ahead for the Irish and European economies. And dont blame Trump, hes just doing what he promised the electorate he would do. Unlike the bowsie’s here.
@Father Ted: even if what he is doing is wrong in most people’s eyes??
As for the Dail crowd you are likely right.
@Ned: much of the reason a lot of people are up in arms is because they go along with the masses. Nobody ever takes a look at the masses, why they think the way they do, who is manipulating them etc…….
@Father Ted: They might have more money in their pocket at the moment, but the biggest recession they’ve ever seen is on the way, like a steam train – thanks to Donald. Watch this space.
Just about all Irish textile factories are now closed. Clothing, footwear etc are imported from factories in Asia where wages are $100 a month, or less for slave labour children, working 18 hour shifts and who sleep at their work stations. We have correctly insisted on minimum wages and standards, but have not equalised trading standards through balancing tariffs, so all our textile factories are now closed. The “good for the consumer” crap should be reassessed
Cheaper stock market. I make my living from investing.
@darragh condren: Bought a Forex scam from a tiktok chav with a rented lambo, did ya?
@darragh condren: cool story
@Jason Memail: get rich quick schemes are just scams unless your a genius at investing. I only made 7% to 10% for past 30 years so much so I have quit low paid work.
The smirking gimp had his chance in the White House to go head-on with Trump. He definitely didn’t look like a leader, that’s for sure
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