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EU member states have been warned not to expect a stable trade relationship with the United States, especially on the issue of European pharmaceutical exports, even if both sides reach an agreement in principle ahead of next Wednesday’s deadline, when a pause on the imposition of US tariffs expires. In Brussels yesterday, EU ambassadors were…

Euro zone inflation edged up last month to the European Central Bank’s 2% target, confirming that the era of runaway prices is over and shifting policymaker focus to trade war-induced economic volatility. Inflation in the 20 nations sharing the euro currency crept up to 2% in June from 1.9% a month earlier, in line with…

Uisce Éireann and ESB Networks have told politicians on the Oireachtas Housing Committee that the electricity and water infrastructure needs investment “at pace” if it is to keep up with the Government’s plans to build 300,000 homes between now and 2029. The Uisce Éireann’s Asset Strategy Manager Angela Ryan said that it was “utterly critical”…

A four-day working week, pay, remote working and artificial intelligence (AI) will be among the topics debated at the biennial conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) which begins in Belfast today. More than 600 union representatives from across the island of Ireland are participating in the three-day conference. A motion from the…

Central Bank Governor Gabriel Makhlouf has warned Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe about the vulnerability of VAT as a source of revenue, as the Government plans to cut the rate of the tax for the hospitality and retails sectors. The Coalition promised to change the tax for those sectors in the Programme for Government following…

The European Union’s Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič is flying to Washington today for talks with senior Trump administration officials ahead of next week’s deadline for a trade agreement that would be needed to avoid 50% tariffs placed on EU exports to the United States. On 2 April, US President Donald Trump imposed large, across-the-board…

Britain’s economy expanded at its fastest pace in a year in the first three months of 2025 as homebuyers rushed to beat a deadline on property purchases and manufacturers sped up output ahead of US President Donald Trump’s higher import tariffs. UK gross domestic product grew by 0.7% in the first three months of 2025,…

The trade deal signed between US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer lowering some tariffs on imports from Britain has come into effect, the British government said today. British car manufacturers will now be able to export to the US under a reduced 10% tariff quota from an earlier 27.5%, while the…

Trade tensions and fractious geopolitics risk exposing deep fault lines in the global financial system, central bank umbrella body the Bank for International Settlements, said in its latest assessment of the state of the world economy. Outgoing head of the BIS, often dubbed the central bankers’ central bank, Agustín Carstens, said the US-driven trade war…

Analysis: A focus on Irish family businesses makes sense at a time when world economies are an election, tax change or trade dispute away from disruption What if Donald Trump lures the multinationals out of Ireland? With ongoing threats of tariffs on EU imports and a broader agenda focused on reshoring American industry, the risk…