Ireland faces a bigger threat from the US than just tariffs

Micheál Martin may need to pledge some material incentives to increase the size of Irish business investors in the US

Mon, 10 Mar, 2025 - 13:24

An expert in Irish and international trade, John Whelan is a former Chief Executive of the Irish Exporters Association, a role he held for more than a decade and previously served as an export industry adviser to the AIB Bank Group.

The cross-Atlantic trade relationships are fracturing at an alarming pace and EU leaders are rushing to get in line for one-on-one with sessions with President Donald Trump, all trying to understand the likely fallout for each one’s economy and how to protect their trading companies.

In this chaotic scramble, the St Patrick's Day White House Shamrock event looks like offering Taoiseach Micheál Martin a much-coveted opportunity to try and maintain the special Irish relationship with the US and hopefully protect Ireland’s export industry.