While Germany, France, and Italy have dominated the headlines, the new US-EU trade deal has significant, often overlooked, implications for major trading nations like the Netherlands and Ireland. As the fifth and second-largest EU exporters to the US respectively, they are major economic stakeholders in the new tariff landscape.
Ireland, which exported €71.3 billion to the US last year, is a global hub for the pharmaceutical and medical technology industries. The new framework’s establishment of a 15% baseline tariff on goods including pharmaceuticals could have a profound impact on this critical sector of the Irish economy, disrupting supply chains and affecting profitability.
The Netherlands, with €43.3 billion in exports, is a key player in high-tech industries, including as a producer of semiconductors. Like pharmaceuticals, semiconductors are slated to face the new 15% US tariff. This introduces a new layer of friction into a globally sensitive and strategically important industry.
The focus on the auto dispute has largely overshadowed the deal’s broader impact on these and other trade-dependent EU nations. While they may not have been at the center of the dispute, they will be forced to navigate the consequences of a deal that reshapes the terms of trade for their most vital export sectors.