Taoiseach Micheál Martin has criticised President Donald Trump’s tariff threats as “extraordinary” and “unacceptable,” but said the European Union using its powerful and unprecedented Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) against the United States would be “premature”.
Mr Martin was speaking ahead of an emergency meeting of EU ambassadors on Sunday, as Nato countries and European allies digest the US’s threat of additional 10 per cent tariffs until Mr Trump is allowed to buy Greenland.
Sweden described the tariff threat against eight countries, which Mr Trump said would increase to 25 per cent in June, as “blackmail” and French president Emmanuel Macron said he would urge the EU to use the ACI, which would punish American industries, in retaliation.
Asked if he would be briefing Aingeal O’Donoghue, Ireland’s permanent representative to the EU, to support calls to use the ACI against the US ahead of the meeting, Mr Martin said: “We’re not getting into that specific just yet, and I think that is a bit premature today, but of course, it may be put on the table.
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“Our view is that what we have to demonstrate today is complete solidarity amongst the 27 EU member states, support for Denmark and Greenland and support behind the existing agreement that we’ve arrived at with the United States in respect of trade,” Mr Martin told RTÉ Radio 1’s This Week programme.
The European Parliament had been due to formally sign off on the EU-US Turnberry trade deal before the end of this month, but on Sunday it emerged that the European People’s Party, the Progressives and Renew Europe were now postponing the ratification of the deal in response to Mr Trump’s tariff threat.
“I’m always against a knee-jerk reaction,” Mr Martin said. “I think we should honour any agreement we’ve entered into, would be my view, because I don’t want to give any excuse to anybody else to pull out of an agreement.
“We have an agreement, we’ve arrived at it. We should faithfully honour that agreement. If others then want to undermine that agreement months after it was arrived at, then Europe is entitled to respond. But for now, I would honour the agreement that we’ve entered into.”
Mr Martin said the EU was not yet in a trade war with the US, and if tariffs were imposed “the US would suffer, Europe would suffer, everybody would suffer.”
Mr Martin said he supported “dialogue and engagement” and would still be planning to travelling to the White House for the annual St Patrick’s Day visit in March.
“We have values also, and those will inform our approach to any meeting in March with the US president. And again, engagement does get results, positive results.”
The Minister for Foreign Affairs said the threats were “completely unacceptable and deeply regrettable,”
On Sunday, Helen McEntee said there could be “no lasting peace and security” in a world where United Nations member states, including the US do not abide by the fundamental principles of the UN charter.
Minister for Finance Simon Harris said the US had now threatened trade agreements between it and the EU.
The comments come after Mr Trump announced on Saturday that he planned to impose additional 10 per cent tariffs on eight Nato countries, after European countries sent a military presence to Greenland last week.
Mr Trump, who claimed the countries had “journeyed to Greenland for purposes unknown”, said the tariffs would increase to 25 per cent by the summer.
The countries threatened with new US tariffs include the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Finland.
In a statement on Sunday, Ms McEntee said Ireland had been “crystal clear that the future of Greenland is a matter to be determined by Denmark and by the Greenlandic people, in line with well-established democratic principles and international law.
“This is a position that will not change. Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states is non-negotiable. It is a fundamental principle of the United Nations charter and of international law. It is what keeps all countries – large or small, militarily aligned or neutral – safe and secure.”
Ms McEntee said Denmark and Greenland had the sovereign right to arrange military exercises with their partners.
“We are co-ordinating closely with our EU and wider European partners in response to this announcement,” she said. “The only way forward to resolve issues of concern to the US, or to any other country, is through respectful engagement. Denmark and Greenland have confirmed on multiple occasions that they are open to proactive constructive dialogue on all issues.”
Mr Harris will attend Eurogroup and Ecofin meetings in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, where the new economic threat from the US is expected to dominate discussions.
In a statement on Sunday, Mr Harris said that “a significant amount of work and effort, in good faith, was put into reaching an agreement with the US to protect economic activity flowing in both directions across the Atlantic”.
While this was in the clear interest of the European and US economies, Mr Harris said the recent developments were concerning and unwelcome.
“Ireland always favours agreement and dialogue. This threat of penalising European economies and businesses and linking that with Greenland is completely unacceptable and I know Europe will stand united and co-ordinated in considering how to respond,” he said.
“Tomorrow’s meeting of European finance ministers will provide me with a valuable and timely opportunity to engage with colleagues from across the EU, share perspectives and take stock.”
