Story perspectives

Ireland Passes Amendment, Clears Path for Canada-EU Trade Deal

6/13/2026

Summary

Story summary

Ireland's parliament passed the Arbitration Amendment Act, clearing the way for ratification of the Canada-EU Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Dublin on 13 June 2026, met Taoiseach Micheál Martin and President Catherine Connolly, and announced a trade, research and security framework.
Bilateral trade grew from €3.2 billion in 2016 to over €12 billion in 2024.
Canadian investment in Ireland rose 131 percent since 2016, making it the country's eighth-largest investor.

History

Historical Context

NAFTA entered force on 1 January 1994, expanding the 1988 Canada-U.S. free-trade pact to include Mexico and lifting tariffs on goods. Within two decades, trade grew from $337 billion in 1993 to $1.2 trillion in 2011. Building on that model, Ireland’s 2026 Arbitration Amendment Act, backed by Taoiseach Micheál Martin and President Catherine Connolly, seeks to activate CETA, whose 2017 provisional application cut 98 % of EU tariffs on Canadian products.

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Story summary

Ireland's parliament passed the Arbitration Amendment Act, clearing the way for ratification of the Canada-EU Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Dublin on 13 June 2026, met Taoiseach Micheál Martin and President Catherine Connolly, and announced a trade, research and security framework.
Bilateral trade grew from €3.2 billion in 2016 to over €12 billion in 2024.
Canadian investment in Ireland rose 131 percent since 2016, making it the country's eighth-largest investor.

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