Tánaiste Simon Harris has welcomed the 90-day pause on the higher rate of reciprocal tariffs announced this evening by US President Donald Trump, saying however that the 10% tariffs still being imposed "aren't good".
Mr Harris was speaking on RTÉ's Nine News following a meeting with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
He said the meeting reinforced his view that the United States is open to negotiations with the European Union, following this evening's tariff U-turn.
Mr Trump's sudden reversal came less than 24 hours after steep new tariffs kicked in on imports from dozens of trading partners.
The new trade barriers have hammered markets, raised the odds of recession and prompted retaliatory responses from China and the European Union.
Mr Harris held what he described as a "timely, valuable, and substantive" meeting with Mr Lutnick, saying that the likely next steps following the announcement were discussed, adding that the U-turn would come as a relief to many businesses in Ireland.
However, he said that "further engagement and clarification" was required between the European Commission and the Trump administration.
Mr Harris and Mr Lutnick had "substantive" engagement on the pharma sector, with the Tánaiste outlining the "mutually beneficial role that the sector plays for Ireland and the United States."
Mr Harris said that the tariff pause would create the space for negotiations to take place.
"Meaningful" talks between the US and the EU were required, he said, in order to address the uncertainty that comes with the imposition of trade tariffs.
He said he briefed EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič on the meeting with Mr Lutnick to update him on the latest US position.
Asked if the 90-day period was long enough to complete the task of reaching an agreement with the Trump administration, Mr Harris said, "90 days was a significant period of time, whether it's enough remains to be seen".
Mr Harris said a number of clarifications were still needed from the US, such as the question over the higher tariff rate on cars, steel and aluminium.
"10% tariffs still aren’t good; tariffs are bad, so we need to be cautious in relation to this," Mr Harris said.
"The meeting with Secretary Lutnick has confirmed my view that there is an openness on the part of the US to engage in such a process," he said.
He added: "I outlined my view that Ireland, as part of the EU, wants to play a constructive role and will continue to be a voice for calm and measured engagement in the time ahead."
'Mature and rational debate'
Mr Harris earlier said a "mature and rational debate" around trade and tariffs was now needed.
"It's very much what myself and my counterparts were discussing in Luxembourg only a few days ago when we gathered, this need to have a period of time for engagement and not to worsen the situation while that engagement is ongoing," he said.
"This isn't some sort of abstract political game, this about people's jobs, it's about people's livelihoods and the absolute priority of the Irish Government is protecting jobs, protecting investment and working at a European level."
Mr Harris added: "We need to see serious, mature, rational debate around trade and tariffs to get this to a good place
"Every negotiation has to see everybody come to the table with the willingness to engage in good faith, and that's the message I'll be talking to Secretary Lutnick in the next few moments."
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Mr Harris said that he was "encouraged" by the growing use of the word "negotiation" by the US administration, adding that: "We need to stop talking at each other across the Atlantic Ocean."
"I'll be interested to get the secretary's views in relation to that and I'll be stressing to him the importance of the bilateral trading relationship, the economic relationship between Ireland and the US, and between the US and the EU, which is worth €1.6 trillion every year that can't be sniffed at easily," he said.
Mr Lutnick, who has described Ireland as his favourite "tax scam", told a podcast last month: "They have all of our (intellectual property) for all our great tech companies and great pharma companies.
"They all put it there because it is low tax. They do not pay us, they pay them, so that is going to end."
On social media, he has also said it is "nonsense that Ireland of all places runs a trade surplus at our expense".
