A successful trade agreement between the EU and the US can only strengthen Ireland’s economic bonds with the US and boost incoming foreign direct investment here, a former high-ranking American government official has said.

A senior US official said today he expects a long-running transatlantic trade dispute over tax breaks for American exporters to be resolved in the first quarter of next year.

The EU has delayed by two weeks a threat to impose £200 million worth of sanctions on American imports in a dispute over steel tariffs.

The EU has delayed by two weeks a threat to impose €300m worth of sanctions on American imports in a dispute over steel tariffs.