Kilkenny businesses to be hit hard by significant economic change

CEO of the Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce, John Hurley, has admitted it's a 'very worrying time' for Kilkenny businesses as the country prepares to hear US President, Donald Trump's latest round of tariffs.

EU goods are expected to face a tariff of about 20% when entering the United States. In 2024, Irish goods exports to the US were worth €73bn, almost a third of the country's total exports.

"We very concerned about it. The Irish economy is an open economy, we need to have as much freedom to trade as possible and Kilkenny is part of that," Mr Hurley said.

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"We have a number of significant businesses in terms of size and employment in Kilkenny, all involved in some sort of international trade of one sort or another.

"A significant change in tariffs being mooted by Trump would have potential significant negative impacts on those countries abilities to trade in the way they've done and ultimately on the economy in Ireland and in Kilkenny," he added.

Abbott officially opened its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kilkenny last November, with the site a global manufacturing centre of excellence for Abbott’s diabetes care business, employing more than 800 people.

However, under President Trump's likely new tariffs, the future of such a business locally is brought into question.

"They are clouds on the horizon in that respect but however, being realistic about it too, it's unlikely to result in a sudden mass exit, that's just simply not going to happen," the Chamber CEO vowed.

"That doesn't mean it's not bad news, it is bad news and it is a cause for concern as it will have both short and long term implications," Mr Hurley continued.

"We're not getting ahead of ourselves, we are very much focusing on the day to day things that need to be done and continuing on with business as usual as best we can, however, with an acute eye on the horizon to see what is coming.

"Yes, it is true Ireland is a big country financially and economically for its size but it still is a small and open economy, very much at the mercy of others which we have no say over but very much have influence and our business representatives have been pro-actively engaging to do what we can to get the across that this isn't a good idea, not even for America really," he continued.

"We have a number of businesses in Kilkenny that are based on export and America would be a significant proportion of, so it's a very worrying time for them and for us all."

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However, despite an apparent tricky road ahead, Mr Hurley has described the first three months of the economic year locally as 'positive'.

"By and large it has been a positive start to the year. We were impacted by weather events which slowed down our ability to get things done when you're all locked down snow and storms and impacted by the damage that they do, that did slow down things but the indications are good.

"Businesses are still dealing with the high cost of doing business and there's new additions constantly to that and there's more on the horizon," he continued.

"It's challenging times but Kilkenny still has a lot going for it, it's still a very popular destination both for visitors and for people doing business and we'll continue to do what we can (the Chamber) which is an important role for us, supporting and representing business," he concluded.

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