‘EU could have free trade area with US’

The EU could have a free trade area with the US within two years, opening up a vast array of opportunities for business, and especially Irish business, according to Jobs Minister Richard Bruton.

Discussions on a bilateral trade agreement with Japan are also under way, offering more openings to expand exports while SMEs should benefit from a €2.5bn fund from 2014.

EU ministers, desperate to find and promote growth as a way out of the crisis, moved closer to agreeing a range of measures at a meeting in Brussels yesterday.