At the annual St. Patrick’s celebration meeting at the White House, US President Donald Trump raised concerns over what he described as a “massive” trade imbalance between the United States and Ireland.
Speaking in the Oval Office alongside Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Trump underscored his administration’s focus on addressing trade deficits with various countries, including Ireland.
"There's a massive deficit that we have with Ireland and with other countries too, and we want to sort of even that out as nicely as we can, and we'll work together," President Trump told reporters.
"But the deficit is massive."
A key point of discussion was Ireland’s corporate tax policies, which Trump claimed had enticed pharmaceutical and other major companies away from the US
He reiterated his pledge to introduce reciprocal tariffs as part of his broader strategy to boost American manufacturing and investment in the US.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin defended Ireland’s position, emphasising the mutual benefits of economic cooperation.
“Foreign investment is a two-way street,” Martin said. “Ireland is investing a lot more in America now.”
He also acknowledged the success of pharmaceutical companies operating in Ireland but noted there is room for further growth within the US market.
Despite his concerns, President Trump was quick to reassure that any policy changes would not be aimed at harming Ireland. “I don’t want to do anything to hurt Ireland,” he stated.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of strong Irish-American ties, with Trump highlighting his popularity among Irish-American voters in the last US election.
"It’s a wonderful place,” Trump remarked about Ireland. “If I drained Ireland of all of the [American companies]... I’d lose the Irish vote.”
The annual St. Patrick’s Day meeting between US and Irish leaders remains a significant event for diplomatic and economic relations, and this year’s discussion underscored ongoing negotiations on trade policies between the two nations.
*This article was originally published on BusinessPlus.ie.
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