Trade and supply chains

Recommendations:

• Ireland should support an ambitious EU trade agenda which promotes trade at multilateral and bilateral levels.

• Governments should support businesses efforts to better anticipate risks and minimise exposure to supply chain shocks and consult closely with the private sector in any efforts to advance national security interests and enhance open strategic autonomy.

• Predictable regulatory, trade and investment policy environment remain indispensable to alleviate uncertainty about the framework conditions in which global supply chains operate.

• Ireland should support measures to deepen the Single Market for goods and services across the EU and avoid all market renationalisation, protectionism, and fragmentation measures.

• The EU should seek to establish positive and stable relations, building on the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement as the retention of free access to the UK market remains of critical importance to Irish manufacturing.

• Relations with the US should remain a key priority in the EU’s trade policy. Strong coordination and cooperation in the Transatlantic relationship is ongoing under the EU-US Trade and Technology Council where we seek concrete outcomes from the working groups and establish a regular dialogue with business.

• With regard to the temporary suspension of the trade tariff disputes in the aviation and steel sectors, it is important that permanent solutions are found to secure improved transatlantic relations.

• The export capability of indigenous Irish manufacturing can be further improved by introducing a State supported export credit insurance scheme to make up for the anticipated gap in the supply of such insurance in the market.

• Further funding for direct grant supports should be provided for innovation, marketing and trade promotion for firms building new markets.