The US is turning its back on global trade. Ireland and the EU can’t afford to make the same mistake | Simon Coveney

The island of Ireland faces a complex challenge with Trump's tariffs. But giving up on transatlantic relations is not the answer

Ireland believes in open, free trade and has build a strong, resilient economy by being the most globalised in Europe. We are a trading country. That is why last night's news on tariffs came as such a disappointment to us.

Imposing tariffs to force companies to locate in the US will fundamentally change how the world sees it. US economic dominance has not been built on scale or purchasing power alone, but on relationships and alliances, something it is now damaging. Liberation day" risks forcing a realignment of how global trade operates, without the US at its centre, as countries rethink their relationship with the US and seek new, more reliable partners.

Simon Coveney is a former deputy prime minister, foreign minister and enterprise and trade minister of Ireland

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