Sinn Féin calls for Taoiseach to convene all party leaders to discuss Trump tariff impacts

Eva Osborne and Philip Blenkinsop - (Reuters)

Sinn Féin is calling for Taoiseach Micheál Martin to convene all party leaders to discuss the potential impacts of US President Donald Trump's tariffs.

The EU is due to sign off on a list of countermeasures on Monday.

According to Reuters, European Union countries will seek to present a united front in the coming days against Trump's tariffs, likely approving a first set of targeted countermeasures on up to $28 billion of US imports from dental floss to diamonds.

Such a move would mean the EU joining China and Canada in imposing retaliatory tariffs on the United States in an early escalation of what some fear will become a global trade war.

This has the potential to make goods more expensive for billions of consumers and push economies around the world into recession.

The 27-nation bloc faces 25 per cent import tariffs on steel and aluminium and cars and "reciprocal" tariffs of 20 per cent from Wednesday for almost all other goods.

Trump's tariffs cover some 70 per cent of the EU's exports to the United States - worth in total €532 billion last year - with likely duties on copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and timber still to come.

The European Commission, which coordinates EU trade policy, will propose to members on Monday a list of US products to hit with extra duties in response to Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs rather than the broader reciprocal levies.

It is set to include US meat, cereals, wine, wood and clothing as well as chewing gum, dental floss, vacuum cleaners, and toilet paper.

Louise O’Reilly, Sinn Féin spokesperson for social protection and TD for Fingal West, said now is the time for action.

Speaking on NewsTalk, she said: "There are practical things that can be done that we would like to see the government moving on and I think those requests are reflected in the polls.

"The people are nervous, they appear to be anxious.

"But now is the time to start sharing that information, so when we say we're looking for things like the Taoiseach to convene all of the party leaders together - that's to share information."