John Burns: It's a bitter pill to swallow, but Donald Trump's trade war with EU may target US pharma firms based here

The persistent €50 billion trade surplus between Ireland and the United States has raised concerns for President Trump. Particularly, the focus is on the substantial exports of pharmaceuticals from Ireland, with countries like Abbott and AbbVie contributing significantly. In 2023, the US emerged as Ireland's largest import partner with €54 billion worth of goods, €36 billion of which were pharmaceuticals. This imbalance has led to the implementation of tariffs by the US, aiming to rectify perceived trade inequities.

For some time now, Donald Trump has had a problem with the number of American pharmaceutical companies based here. ... 'makes our drugs - everybody makes our drugs except us'.

In 2023, the US was the biggest single purchaser of Irish imports, buying €54 billion worth. Of that, about €36 billion was pharmaceuticals or medical devices.

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