15th September 2017

The Importance of a US-Ireland Relationship

By Cianán Clancy

Vacillating is a word that applies to many international relationships. Can you be certain which entities are committed to each other in the global sphere?

When does a country matter?

The impact countries make on each other is one way of determining their relationships.

In Ireland we have a population of 4.7 million people. This is far less than America’s 323 million. Still we play a key role in the US economy.

Ireland is one of the top 10 countries investing the most in the US and the facts become clear. In 2016 we invested $279.6 billion in the US. You’re right to think this is a high number. This shows just how remarkable Ireland impacts the US economy.

Our Irish investments are also five times the amount China decided to impart in the same year. This country—known for its supposedly close ties with the US—only invested $58.2 billion.

The US and Ireland’s connectedness transcends into importance and yes even dependence. In both directions. This is a tell-tale sign that the relationship will—or should—survive decades to come.

Source: US Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis showed the cumulative multi-billion dollar foreign direct investments (FDI) in the U.S 2016