US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that transatlantic trade ties have been “very profitable” for Ireland but acknowledged the arrangement disadvantages the US during a meeting with Prime Minister Michael Martin in Dublin, where the two leaders discussed energy cooperation and Northern Ireland alongside bilateral economic concerns.
Trade relationship and imbalance
Speaking alongside Martin following their talks at the Irish government buildings, Trump praised the longstanding cultural and economic bonds between Washington and Dublin, declaring that bilateral ties have “never been as good as it is right now.” He characterized the current trade relationship as “very profitable” for Ireland while conceding that “it’s less profitable for us, to be honest with you,” adding that the disparity has persisted despite decades of close cooperation between the two English-speaking democracies. Trump stressed that Washington would continue to engage with Dublin even as administration officials seek to renegotiate terms that better favor American exporters.
Support for Irish unification
Trump also met earlier with Irish President Catherine Connolly to discuss energy supplies to Europe and the complex political dynamics between unionist and nationalist communities on both sides of the Irish border. Addressing the prospect of Irish unification, Trump expressed personal support for the initiative, saying he does not want to cause problems but “would love to see it unified,” noting that he maintains personal friendships with political figures on both sides of the sectarian divide. He predicted that unification “going to happen eventually,” describing successful integration as a “great feather in everybody’s cap,” while acknowledging that “the UK will have something to say about it, obviously” given London’s constitutional and historical responsibilities in the territory.
North American trade tensions
Turning to Western Hemisphere commerce, Trump defended his administration’s stewardship of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement and explicitly rejected journalist suggestions that Washington might withdraw from the trilateral pact. He maintained that the US maintains “a real relationship with Mexico” while describing ties with Canada as good but structurally unfair, accusing Ottawa of exploiting American market access for decades through protectionist agricultural policies including tariffs reaching 400% on specific dairy and farm exports. Trump indicated that Canadian officials have recently expressed interest in negotiating a comprehensive revised agreement that could be reached “fairly soon” if Ottawa moves to address outstanding tariff and subsidy disputes affecting American producers.
