An Irish MEP is calling on the European Commission to develop a "crisis preparedness plan" to protect the agricultural sector from ongoing "shocks" caused by the trade policy of US President Donald Trump.

Midlands--North-West MEP Maria Walsh, who is a member of the European Parliament's agriculture committee, called on the commission to prepare such a pan for the agriculture sector as part of a debate on EU and US trade.

It comes on the back of an announcement of tariffs by Trump which, if implemented, would impact EU and Irish exports of agri-food produce and many other goods to the US.

Walsh cited a report from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) which said Ireland is among the countries that will be hit hardest by Trump's trade policies, with the national GDP growth set to be 3.7% in 2025 before falling to 2.3% in 2026.

Walsh said: "The US is no longer the reliable trading partner it once was for our agricultural sector. This leaves the livelihoods of thousands of Irish farmers and food producers in limbo.

"With no assurance of a return to normality, the European Commission must share their strategy that protects the competitiveness of the industry and reduce our reliance on the US," the Fine Gael MEP added.

Walsh said that she had requested the parliament's agriculture committee to hold a debate on EU-US trade, given the impact of what she called "Trump's reckless decisions which impact Irish farmers and their families".

That debate in the agriculture committee took place yesterday, with officials from the European Commission being involved.

"I had one key message for the commission. We urgently need a plan to protect against US trade shocks that will rip through the EU agricultural sector," Walsh said after the meeting.

She added: "I questioned the commission on what steps they will take to strengthen the competitiveness of our agri-food sector in both the short-term and long-term and how they intend to diversify EU markets. I also stressed the need to preserve open negotiation and communication with the Trump administration."

However, Walsh claimed that, despite the need to maintain dialogue with Washington, the EU "can no longer rely" on the US.

"The threat of trade shocks has not gone away - it is a ticking time bomb that can explode and significantly impact the Irish agriculture sector at any moment. While we hope for the best, the EU must now prepare for the worst," she said.