An Taoiseach Micheál Martin

Ireland’s extraordinary relationship with the United States is built on a rich foundation of ancestral ties, shared values and close diplomatic and political links, including US support for peace on this island. Our deep and strong bilateral relations have endured because we have continued to renew bonds of partnership and cooperation. As new administrations take office on both sides of the Atlantic, we remain committed to strong and mutually beneficial relations between our two countries.

For Ireland, US foreign direct investment has been, and will continue to be, an important part of our economic story. The US is Ireland’s largest trading and investment partner. This partnership is creating prosperity, jobs and opportunities for our peoples, across the length and breadth of our two countries.

We have a lot to offer each other. US companies in Ireland employ approximately 210,000 people directly, while Ireland is the 6th largest investor in the US with Irish companies employing in excess of 110,000 people there. Ireland offers a unique base from which US companies can sell goods and services across the European Union and the broader region – helping those same companies grow and serve markets from a supportive environment, with deep historical and cultural ties to the US.

As a member of the European Union, Ireland is committed to ensuring the best possible transatlantic relationship, and maintaining and fostering a stable, balanced and predictable economic partnership, while promoting common values and expanding cooperation in key areas. As each other’s largest trading and investment partners, with a shared, deeply interwoven, economic relationship, this transatlantic partnership between the EU and the US is a core element of global stability, sustainability and prosperity.

We are also dedicated to remaining an attractive location for both business and talent, improving and strengthening our competitiveness offering, supporting trade and multilateralism, and building on our hard-won reputation for economic dynamism and growth.

As we look ahead over the next twelve months and beyond, I look forward to building further on the achievements of the US-Ireland partnership and I wish all members of the American Chamber of Commerce every continued success in the future.

This partnership is creating prosperity, jobs and opportunities for our peoples, across the length and breadth of our two countries.