How to shop in Ireland and other countries
Trade is booming in Ireland.
Ireland has been a big market for American coffee giants, such as Starbucks and Mondelez International, and is the biggest coffee exporter in Europe.
Coffee exports to the US have also risen.
Trade between Ireland and the US has grown steadily over the past few years, and this year is set to be another big year.
In December, the US launched a new program to boost coffee exports, known as the US-Ireland Trade Promotion Agreement (US-ITPA).
There are about 70,000 US-Irish coffee imports and exports.
“We are very much looking forward to a good 2018 and we are pleased that this is the beginning of a new era of growth for Irish coffee.
The new US-ITSA is a step in the right direction for Ireland and a very welcome development for the Irish coffee industry,” Culture Minister Paddy Doherty said.
This is a big deal for Ireland, as the coffee industry is an export-led sector in Ireland that accounts for around 5% of its GDP.
“I think the coffee sector is one of the sectors that Ireland has the greatest potential to be a world leader in and the Irish government is committed to supporting this sector,” Gardaí said.
“We believe that there is a strong potential for coffee to be an integral part of Ireland’s economic growth.
We are looking forward and working closely with US officials to see if there is any way we can contribute to this new relationship.”
The US-India trade agreement is being hailed as a major breakthrough for coffee.
In January, the country signed a free trade deal with the US, and the deal included a ban on import duties on imported coffee and milk.
The US-IRAF agreement also contains a similar free trade agreement with Mexico, which has become a major coffee hub.
“We have been working very closely with the Mexican authorities, the Mexican government, with the coffee trade in Mexico and we see that there are significant potential benefits for both sides,” Doherty said in a statement.
“We welcome the new US and Irish FTA and look forward to signing on to a new agreement in 2019.”
In Ireland, a big trade boost is also expected in 2018.
A new €1 billion coffee processing and distribution hub is planned for the North of Ireland.
This is the first time that a coffee processing hub in Northern Ireland has opened, with coffee grown in the US being grown on a large scale.
Dublin’s coffee industry has also seen growth in the last few years.
The Irish coffee sector now employs almost 100,000 people.
Source: The Irish Independent
