Ambassador Claire D. Cronin
United States Ambassador to Ireland
This year, the United States and Ireland celebrate 100 years of diplomatic relations. It is a significant milestone in a relationship that is bound by our close ancestral, cultural, and commercial ties, and one to be celebrated.
Today, our trade and investment relationship is worth 1 trillion dollars. The U.S.-Ireland economic relationship, however, is not just defined by dollars and euros, but by people. Our people-to-people ties fortify this connection in so many ways.
The positive impact of American companies in Ireland is extraordinary. AmCham members are delivering healthcare, pharmaceutical, and digital solutions--and much more--from Ireland to destinations across the globe. Your talented teams are embedding the results of their research and manufacturing excellence in new products and technologies that are transforming the way we work and live.
Equally, Irish companies are carving a path to global success through their expansion in all 50 U.S. states. Irish entrepreneurs understand the potential of the U.S. market and the opportunity of using the United States as an exporting platform. This applies to the large Irish multinationals that are thriving in the United States, and increasingly to smaller companies whose ambition knows no bounds.
Businesses do not like uncertainty, but as we embark on the next 100 years together, challenges will increase risk. Threats come in many forms: geopolitical instability, risks to our shared supply chains, cyber-attacks from malign actors, and failing to keep up with the pace of change of AI and other emerging technologies, just to name a few.
Opportunities, however, will shape the manufacture, design, and delivery of products and services not even dreamed of 100 years ago. The opportunity for the United States and Ireland to strengthen our two-way trade and investment relationship is limited only by our imaginations. Whether cooperating on cybersecurity, energy security, and climate change solutions, together, we can make the world a better place.
Ambassador Cronin touring MSD’s Carlow site with the senior leadership team in July 2023.
I have visited American and Irish companies across the length and breadth of Ireland, and I have one key takeaway. The passion of your teams and the energy they bring to their jobs and their teams is palpable.
During President Biden’s historic speech to the Oireachtas last year, he said, “Ireland is a hotbed of cutting-edge science, research, and emerging technologies that’s going to influence so much of our shared future.”
This is a great way to sum up where we are today. One hundred years after we first officially commenced our diplomatic relationship, I am confident that the future of our business relationship is in good hands.
I am excited about what is around the corner – not just for the dollars and euros but for what we can achieve together. Working side by side to grow jobs, prosperity, friendships, and partnerships on both sides of the Atlantic.