Ireland is pushing for targeted tariff exemptions on whiskey, thoroughbred horses, and medical technology in EU-US trade negotiations, with just one week remaining before the deadline for an outline agreement.
Tánaiste Simon Harris will tell Cabinet colleagues on Tuesday that securing side deals in these key sectors represents the best outcome Ireland can achieve, as 10% baseline tariffs would pose significant challenges for Irish businesses and the economy.
Harris will update ministers on growing optimism at EU level that an agreement can be reached within the tight timeframe, though any deal must be assessed against what exemptions from baseline tariffs can be secured.
Last month, Harris wrote to EU chief negotiator Maroš Šefčovič requesting that whiskey, thoroughbred horses, and the medtech sector be removed from counter-tariff lists, arguing their inclusion would significantly impact Ireland’s economy.
The Tánaiste is seeking clarity on zero-for-zero arrangements for key sectors and outcomes of Section 232 investigations covering pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and aviation.
In a speech marking exactly one year until Ireland assumes the EU presidency, Harris will acknowledge that the trade talks “will fundamentally alter the union’s relationship with the US.”
“We remain hopeful of a deal but, whatever the outcome, it is clear tariffs will remain a feature of the geopolitical trading arrangements,” he is expected to say, adding that “Europe has stood tall together” to secure the best possible outcome.
Harris will chair a Government Trade Forum meeting on Wednesday and travel to Berlin on Friday to meet his German counterpart, with EU-US trade relations featuring prominently on the agenda.
Meanwhile, Housing Minister James Browne will present several Cabinet memos on Tuesday, including measures to streamline social housing construction by simplifying the current four-step approval process into a single step for local authorities.
Browne will also advance the Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2025, giving people facing judicial reviews up to three years’ extension on planning permissions under certain circumstances. Over 40,000 uncommenced residential units sit on inactive Dublin development sites, with approximately 15,000 planning permissions due to expire within two years.