Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is using a trade mission to Ireland to widen market access for the state’s companies at a time when transatlantic business ties are under pressure from tariffs, geopolitical strain and broader protectionist rhetoric.
Utah governor visits Ireland on trade mission
The trip matters because Ireland remains one of Europe’s most important corporate gateways, giving Utah firms a base to sell into the European Union and beyond while also helping the state court foreign investment, research links and manufacturing partnerships. Cox met Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin this week to discuss trade, research and family policy, underscoring that the mission is as much about economic diplomacy as it is about business networking.
Ireland’s appeal is clear: it hosts European headquarters for large U.S. companies including Google, Meta and Apple, and it continues to market itself aggressively to foreign firms. For Utah, that makes Dublin and other Irish hubs a practical entry point for tech, life sciences, energy, quantum and research companies looking to scale internationally without building a presence from scratch across multiple European markets.
The delegation was organized by World Trade Center Utah and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, part of a broader push by state leaders to build ties that can outlast Washington’s shifting posture toward Europe. Cox said subnational relationships matter more now because of wars, trade disputes and uncertainty in global supply chains, a view echoed by former Sen. Jeff Flake, chairman of World Trade Center Utah, who said prosperity and peace still depend on robust international trade.
Several Utah companies already have a foothold in Ireland, including Qualtrics, Ancestry.com and Merit Medical Systems. Merit, based in South Jordan, opened a manufacturing facility there in 1993 and now employs more than 1,000 people, a sign of how Ireland can serve as both a production base and a launchpad for international sales.
For investors, the mission reinforces the value of overseas diversification for Utah-linked firms exposed to U.S. policy shifts, labor constraints and overseas demand. It also highlights Ireland’s continued role as a magnet for American multinationals despite high living costs and tight labor markets, with any new partnerships likely to show up in hiring, production and capital spending before they appear in revenue.
The immediate catalyst is whether the trip turns into new commercial deals, research collaborations or expansion plans for Utah businesses already operating in Europe. More broadly, state-level trade missions are becoming a bigger part of the playbook as companies look for stability outside the noise of national politics.
| Entity | Gains | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Utah businesses | ▲EU market access | ▼Isolation from Europe |
| Ireland | ▲New investment and jobs | ▼Less leverage if trade cools |
| Merit Medical, Qualtrics, Ancestry | ▲Deeper European foothold | ▼Higher operating costs |
| U.S. protectionists | ▲Domestic focus | ▼Cross-border trade growth |
