Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Martin Heydon is to lead a trade mission to the US in the coming weeks.

The trade mission comes against the backdrop of escalating trade tensions between the European Union and the US.

This week, US President Donald Trump said that he will shortly place a 200% tariff on all wines, champagnes and alcoholic products coming out of Europe.

It followed a move by the European Union to impose counter tariffs on €26 billion ($28 billion) worth of US goods from next month.

That announcement came in response to a decision by President Trump to place tariffs on steel and aluminium produced in the EU and imported by the US.

The Irish Whiskey Association has said that the proposed new US tariffs on alcohol have the “potential to be devastating” for the industry.

Irish whiskey sales exceeded 15 million cases last year, reflecting sustained global demand, according to the latest figures from Bord Bia and the International Wine and Spirits Record (IWSR).

Ireland exports 90% of its whiskey, making it largely an international product, with Jameson marked as a ‘top 10’ international brand.

Director of the Irish Whiskey Association, Eoin Ó Catháin said that “there is no winner in a trade war”.

A spokesperson for Minister Heydon confirmed to Agriland that the minister will lead a full government trade mission in early April, beginning in Washington D.C., and will include a number of US states.

The itinerary for the trade mission is currently being finalised by officials in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), Bord Bia and Enterprise Ireland.

The focus of the mission will be to highlight the investment made by Irish food companies based in America.

The minister will emphasise that around 200,000 Americans are employed across 770 Irish companies in the US during his political meetings.

Minister Heydon has also engaged with business owners and chief executives of Irish businesses which would be impacted by the threatened tariffs. The matter will also be discussed by the Cabinet next week.

Minister Heydon believes that there is still time to negotiate about the tariffs before they are implemented by the EU on April 1.

The minister is planning to raise his concerns during the next Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AGRIFISH) meeting on March 24.