The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment is this week leading a joint Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland Trade Mission to New York and Boston in the US.
The aim of the trip is to boost trade relationships with key IDA client companies and promote Irish companies with leading market positions in the US.
Meetings with PM Group, IBM, Boston Scientific and HealthBeacon are on the agenda this week.
2022 saw record Irish exports to North America of $5.5 billion and North America now accounts for 17% of all exports by Enterprise Ireland backed companies.
There are currently 900 Irish owned companies exporting to the US, with about 73% of these having a full-time presence in the market, ranging from sales offices to manufacturing operations.
Irish companies employ over 100,000 people across the 50 states, 78,000 of these are employed by Enterprise Ireland client companies.
Priority sectors in the US for Enterprise Ireland companies include financial software, life sciences, telecommunications, tech solutions, digital media, oil and gas, international education, cleantech, consumer goods and food FDI.
Meanwhile, US companies choose Ireland as an entry point to Europe, the world's largest single market area. IDA clients from the US had almost 950 operations in Ireland last year, employing over 210,000 people directly.
IDA Ireland secured a total of 242 investments in 2022, of which 167 investments came from North American investors.
These accounted for over 18,500 new jobs, and included 64 first time investments from new name companies.
Minister for Trade Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Simon Coveney the trade visit to the US will build on existing trade relationships and highlight the leading Irish companies that are blazing a trail in the US market, in particular on the East Coast.
"Visits to key trade cities such as New York and Boston, which have a strong legacy of Irish enterprise and innovation, play a key role in promoting thriving entrepreneurship between both nations," the Minister said.
Leo Clancy, Enterprise Ireland's CEO, said the trade mission is an opportunity to promote continued Enterprise Ireland client growth through connecting with current and prospective business partners in this diverse and sophisticated economy through targeted sectoral meetings and events.
"As the largest economy in the world with long established relationships between USA and Ireland, this trade mission reflects the innovation and resilience of both markets and the opportunities that exist in a range of sectors from life sciences and technology to consumer goods and energy," Mr Clancy added.
IDA Ireland CEO Michael Lohan said the trade mission is an opportunity to reinforce Ireland's global position as a stable location for investment and expansion despite economic headwinds and an ever-changing global environment for investment flows.
"As part of this investment mission, we will be meeting with some of the largest and most dynamic companies in the world of financial services, technology and business services and life sciences. These companies continue to seek stable, pro-business locations for their businesses," he stated.
He said the week is about deepening relationships at the highest levels, and convincing new target companies that Ireland is the place for their investment.
