The Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has said he believes the US will engage with EU negotiating teams very soon over the newly imposed US tariff regime.
He was speaking after meeting the US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in Washington DC.
After their meeting, the Minister told RTÉ News they had a warm but frank discussion on the US tariffs, and how disruptive they could be to EU-US trade.
Mr Heydon said: "We had a frank discussion around where they're coming from and the changes they're trying to bring about.
"The point I made back was highlighting that really mutually beneficial nature of the trade between Ireland and the US and the EU and the US, and saying that we can only work through these issues by ongoing dialogue and communications."
He said that although the US side wants to change certain things in the trading relationship, it was important to ensure "that we don't lose the benefit of what happens already" in trade.
He said it was only through dialogue that both sides "can get to the point of really understanding each other's perspective and make sure that we can come to a solution that is better for both of our peoples".
He said that as an Irish Minister he is also part of the EU and is encouraging the US administration to engage with EU negotiating teams, and believes that will happen "very soon".
Minister Heydon will meet a number of members of Congress tomorrow, and will also visit Irish food and drink companies operating in the US market.
