NOTHING TO EASE THE PAIN

Companies and workers won't get help against Trump tariffs

- BY PAT FLANAGAN

THERE will be no Covid-type measures to help companies and workers impacted by Trump tariffs.

It comes even though there could be reduced working hours and even layoffs as early as this week.

As the US's 10% base tariff rate kicked in yesterday a senior Government source said there are no plans in place to give direct help to companies which could face massive losses.

Tanaiste Simon Harris will travel to the States this week to attend meetings with Washington's secretary of commerce Howard Lutnick.

He is set to hold trade and wider political talks and will hold meetings with a number of figures in the Trump administration and the US Congress.

Speaking ahead of his trip, Mr Harris said: "I think we are operating in an environment, after having many years, many decades of free trade and globalisation, we're operating in an environment where there's an effort from the United States of America to move to a more protectionist stance, and that will pose challenges."