Up to £13 million (€16.51 million) of annual Irish exports are threatened by US plans to impose trade sanctions on certain EU goods in retaliation for an EU ban on hormone-treated beef from the US.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment said there could be slight changes to the figure when the list of goods covered was examined further. An Bord Bia estimates that £10 million of food exports are threatened by the US plans.
In total it is estimated that £900 million of EU exports are at risk from the dispute which entered a new phase on Monday when an extensive list of goods was circulated by US officials.
The dispute about hormone-treated beef is separate from the row between the EU and the US over bananas, which has put £3 million of Irish exports at risk. However, according to some diplomats solving one dispute may help to resolve the other.
The chief executive of the Irish Exporters Association, Mr Colum MacDonnell, called on the Government to indemnify exporters for any losses incurred as a result of both disputes. A similar scheme is already operating in the UK.
A spokesman for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment said the Government hoped such a scheme would not be needed and a solution to both disputes could be found and losses minimised.
Mr MacDonnell said a "diplomatic offensive" in the US should be launched by the Government to have Irish products removed from the list.
Goods on the list will be subject to 100 per cent tariffs from May 13th unless a resolution is found in the interim. The following goods are included: pork, poultry, ham, bacon, Roquefort cheese, tomatoes, truffles, oats, jam, chewing gum, certain types of chocolate, mineral water, yarn, motorcycles and hairclips.
Mr Owen Brooks, director of international markets at An Bord Bia, said the inclusion of pork and bacon in the list put about £3.7 million of exports at risk, while including confectionary meant another £1.3 million were threatened. Exports of various oatmeal-based products make up the rest of the food exports under threat, he added.
One of the companies likely to be effected is Dairygold which exports its Galtee brand of rashers to the US. While a spokeswoman for the company declined to comment last night it is understood that up to £1 million of Dairygold's US business could be at risk.
The inclusion of mineral waters could mean lost business for brands like Ballygowan and Tipperary mineral water. Other businesses which may be affected are Odlums (oats), Cadburys (chocolate), Erin soups and Chivers (jam).
