TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS landed in California yesterday, where he is to meet with governor Gavin Newsom.

During the US visit, which is said to be about Ireland’s trade and investment relationships stateside, finance minister Harris will also meet with companies working in sectors such as digital tech, healthcare, MedTech and pharma.

Among his political engagements is a meeting with Newsom, as well as the Mayor of San Francisco, Daniel Lurie.

Newsom is considered to be a 2028 presidential hopeful for the Democrats.

Speaking ahead of the visit, the Tánaiste said: “Ireland’s longstanding economic relationship with California is a cornerstone of our wider partnership with the United States.

“The economic partnership between our two countries supports prosperity and employment on both sides of the Atlantic, and this visit provides an opportunity to further deepen that relationship.

“The scale of two-way trade and investment between Ireland and the US underscores the strength of our economic ties.

“Not only is the US Ireland’s biggest trading and investment partner, Ireland is the fifth largest source of foreign direct investment in the U.S., with investment by Irish companies valued at $390 billion. Across the US, more than 200,000 people are employed by almost 800 Irish companies.

He said this visit underlines the government’s commitment to these “mutually beneficial links”.