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Harris and Rubio had what was described as an "insightful" phone call yesterday. Alamy

US-Ireland 'trade imbalance' brought up with Tánaiste during yesterday's call with Rubio

No mention of the topic was made in statements from the Tánaiste’s office yesterday.

US SECRETARY OF State Marco Rubio brought up the US “priority to address the US-Ireland trade imbalance” during his call with the Tánaiste yesterday.

The move will likely raise concerns within the Government ahead of Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s meeting with US President Donald Trump next week. 

A readout of the conversation between Harris and Rubio, published by the US Department of State, includes a mention of the discussion of a trade-imbalance.

However, the Tánaiste or his office did not refer to it in statements made yesterday

Last night, when discussing the phone call on RTÉ’s Six One News, the Tánaiste was asked what the pair discussed in relation to tariffs.

He noted that Rubio does not have responsibility for trade and said:

“I made the point that of course it’s perfectly appropriate for any new government to want to examine its economic policies, but we do need to do that in a way that protects the transatlantic trade relationship, which is really important. And I felt the Secretary of State had an appreciation of that.”

A Government source today told The Journal that the trade figures “speak for themselves but were not an area of significant focus during the call, the real focus was on strengthening the relationship”.

It is understood the call between the pair was a lengthy one, focused mainly on Ukraine. 

Trade imbalance

Last year, Ireland exported approximately €50bn more goods to the US than it imported. 

Since taking office again, Trump has repeatedly stated that he believes countries are taking advantage of the US when they have big trade surpluses with it.

In recent weeks he has falsely stated that the European Union was set up to “screw” the US and said that tariffs would be implemented on goods and services imported from the bloc “imminently”.

When Taoiseach Micheál Martin travels to Washington next week to meet with Trump for the annual St Patrick’s Day visit, he will be under pressure to prevent a trade war and to deliver a message that free trade between the US and Ireland is mutually beneficial.  

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    Mute Tom Burke
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    Nov 27th 2016, 11:48 AM

    What has become most apparent is that child abuse and subsequent inaction has crossed all spectrums of society.
    From schools, sports, care centres, healthcare, politics.

    Here we have 20 footballers who have come forward who wouldn’t come forward 1 month ago.
    When Jimmy Savile died one victim came forward. Within months we had hundreds.

    We must broaden our horizons and be vigilant however, must not become paranoid.

    Most people who work with children, are good people. Let’s not forget that.

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    Mute Catherine Mill
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    Nov 27th 2016, 9:55 AM

    Bennell, who worked for Crewe, Manchester City and Stoke City, sexually abused young boys across three decades from the 1970s onwards.

    He was given a four-year sentence for raping a British boy during a football tour of Florida in 1994 and a nine-year sentence for 23 offences against six boys in England in 1998.

    He was jailed again in 2015 for abusing a boy at a football camp in Macclesfield, northwest England, in 1980.”

    When will judges learn that there is no cure for child rapists- Ever.?

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
    Favourite Daisy Chainsaw
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    Nov 27th 2016, 11:34 AM

    The independent reviewer’s first job will be to buy a rug. That’s what always happens when big business investigates itself for wrongdoing. Religions, TV stations, swimming coaches etc etc…

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    Mute ACturnbull
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    Nov 27th 2016, 1:24 PM

    Will people now give hell to soccer and abandon it like they did the Church? Unlikely. Such hypocrisy

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    Mute Tom Burke
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    Nov 27th 2016, 4:02 PM

    ACturnbull

    You make a very point.
    There is a report in the media that one of the clubs paid one of the victims to stay quiet while the alleged abuser was allowed to continue coaching while others were asked to ‘keep an eye on him’.

    If this happened in the church there would be 200 posts slating them.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Nov 27th 2016, 7:04 PM

    Eh, that’s exactly what happened in the church, over and over again.

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    Mute Paul
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    Nov 27th 2016, 12:56 PM

    Surely organisations shouldn’t be allowed to investigate themselves and it should be left to the police forces – I’ll never understand the leniency with sentences for these crimes. These people should be locked away forever.

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    Mute Mercurial One
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    Nov 27th 2016, 6:21 PM

    “The FA is to investigate allegations of sex abuse in UK football”. I’m pretty sure that it will exhonerate itself from any official involvement in these allegations, same as it has always done in previous such investigations. Might as well ask the British royal family to investigate itself into any official involvement in the activities of notorious ‘royal titled’ paedo’s, I’d say?

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