Whiskey and dairy being left out of EU counter-tariffs ‘welcome’, Dáil hears

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

It is welcome that wine, whiskey and dairy products are not included in an EU retaliatory package of tariffs on US products, the Dáil has heard.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik said that while it would give a short reprieve, it was likely that US President Donald Trump could “hit back with further tariffs” after the EU’s announcement.

The EU is preparing a package of counter-measures to hit US goods with in response to 25 per cent US tax imports on steel and aluminium.

A 20 per cent import tax will be slapped on EU goods on Wednesday as part of a major tariff announcement by Mr Trump last week.

“It’s welcome to hear that whiskey, wine and dairy products will be left out to protect EU and indeed our own alcohol and food exports from further reprisals,” Ms Bacik told the Dáil, “but the likelihood is that once the EU package is announced, Trump can hit back with further tariffs”.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin responded to Ms Bacik by saying that non-tariff barriers have been raised by both the EU and US with one another.

He said he had spent the last week speaking with multinationals that have indicated they agree with avoiding an escalation in the trade dispute.

“There’s no doubt that investment decisions are being paused, but people aren’t as of yet… being laid off,” he said.

“Europe is clear that it’s willing to negotiate both the tariff issue, but also non-tariff issues in respect of complaints that both sides would have about the other.”

Ireland’s EU commissioner Michael McGrath has said the bloc’s countries “still stand ready” to negotiate with the US.

The Commissioner for Justice, Rule of Law and Consumer Protection also said that the EU needed to respond and “create an incentive for the US to get around the table with us”.

Mr Trump’s announcement of a swathe of tariffs hitting countries around the world has caused turmoil in the global markets as trading norms built up over decades are disrupted.

Mr McGrath said that the value of EU goods being hit by additional US tariffs is €380 billion, generating €80 billion in revenue for the US, up from the “normal” value of €7 billion.

“Our strong preference is for negotiations with the US, we still stand ready to negotiate,” he told Newstalk Breakfast on Tuesday.

“We do wish to negotiate, it is our preference because we recognise that everyone loses when it comes to a trade war and the imposition of tariffs.”

As part of the EU’s counter measures, €26 billion worth of US goods would have been targeted to match the damage by US tariffs on steel and aluminium, Mr McGrath said.

“We have listened to member states so the figure will be somewhat less than that, but it is only the first response and there will be a further response in the event of negotiations failing.”

He said he needed to defend the interests of the EU and there was a need to create an incentive to pursue negotiations.

“The EU does need to respond in the absence of meaningful negotiations because the tariffs that have been imposed to date, and the 20 per cent tariffs that kick in tomorrow, are wholly unjustified.

“There is no rational basis for them.

“The EU-US trade relationship is broadly balanced.

“Yes, the EU has a surplus in goods, that is almost matched by the US surplus in service exports to the EU.

“So the net position is less than €50 billion of a trade surplus in favour of the EU in the context of an annual trade relationship of €1.6 trillion, so that is around three per cent of the overall value of trade.

“The EU has to respond to that and will respond in the event of negotiations failing.

“But we really want to avoid that scenario, because everybody loses.”