On Sunday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and former U.S. President Donald Trump toward a deal on industrial goods trade. This official agreement extends much needed certainty to both allies. The announcement came during the course of a handshake between the two leaders. Von der Leyen wore a classic grey blazer and black trousers, while Trump was dapper in a navy suit, white shirt and gold tie.
Those terms have prompted wildly different reactions from Irish officials. In Ireland, Micheal Martin, the country’s Taoiseach, said it was positive news that would protect jobs in the country. He called the announcement “very welcome news,” focusing on its possible positive effect on the entire Irish economy.
We were happy to see Neale Richmond, the Irish Minister of State give his testimony on the direction of this agreement. He lauded it for providing key certainty for businesses. He pointed to “the case made” for specific medications to be available without tariff under the new conditions. Richmond noted the extraordinary strength of Ireland’s exports to the United States, which totaled £60.4 billion ($81.1 billion) in 2024. This figure underscores the ridiculous Trump Administration insistence on upsetting their valuable trade relationship.
“We don’t want a tariff war, tariffs are a bad thing. We want stability for businesses and we have that today.” – Neale Richmond
For all the optimistic statements from heads of state, Richmond stressed Ireland’s sober approach to the agreement. He remarked, “We’re not exactly celebrating this; it’s not a case that this is a good thing but it’s probably the least bad option based on what we were facing a couple of days ago, the prospect of a 30% tariff.”
Richmond further elaborated that while there are areas that require further negotiation, he appreciates that the deal “gives us that certainty that has been lacking in the last number of months.” He described the new accommodation as a game-changer. It would usher in “a new era of stability” for trade relations between Ireland and the United States.
“These are some of the areas we will have to dig into, but absolutely we have a lot to work on.” – Neale Richmond
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the agreement, saying it would promote predictability for both the EU and the U.S. We’re yet to see how it will specifically shape the transition across sectors and industries within Ireland. Such tariffs were most notoriously imposed by Trump on several key U.S. trading partners. This new stakeholder agreement is a positive signal, in both tone and strategy.