Louisiana Ireland Trade Commission plans targeted Ireland mission; highlights LNG, life‑sciences and forestry ties

BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana Ireland Trade Commission on Oct. 20 discussed steps to turn earlier outreach into targeted trade and investment activity with Irish partners, focusing on higher‑education research ties, liquefied natural gas (LNG) opportunities and forestry exports, and set a Washington, D.C., reception at the Irish chancery for Jan. 30 as the anchor for next year’s outreach.

Dr. John Kerwin, a commissioner who led recent meetings in Ireland, told the panel that meetings with Trinity College Dublin and University College Dublin produced “great interaction” and an invitation for Irish representatives to visit Louisiana. “The door was open,” he said, describing interest in collaboration on life‑sciences research, commercialization and multimillion‑dollar EU research grants that could align with NIH‑funded work in Louisiana.

The commission spent substantial time on energy strategy and possible commercial linkages. Representative Peter Egan reported that Ireland is developing a state‑led offshore LNG terminal as a strategic emergency reserve after a March 2025 government decision, and the commission discussed how Louisiana exporters and service providers might engage if Ireland proceeds with port‑based distribution. Commissioner Paige Carter proposed convening an “LNG buyer summit” that would bring Louisiana exporters, including Venture Global and Cheniere, to top Irish decision‑makers or alternatively invite Irish ministers to inspect U.S. facilities.

Senator Mark Daley, participating by phone, said he would help advance ministerial contacts in Dublin and offered to share the commission’s one‑page materials with Irish officials. “I will most certainly try to be there on January 30,” Daley said when asked about attending the Washington event.

Commissioners also discussed nonenergy trade prospects, including forestry products. Commissioners reported that much of Ireland’s wood imports currently come from Norway and that Louisiana companies believe they could supply needed timber and wood products from the Port of Lake Charles.

On planning and logistics, the commission favored a tightly targeted delegation rather than a broad fact‑finding trip. Commissioners repeatedly urged prearranged, laser‑focused meetings with specific Irish university provosts, commercialization leaders and industry counterparts rather than general sessions. Harrison Crabtree (trade and tourism) and LED contacts were cited as resources for coordinating business outreach and avoiding duplication with prior visits.

The commission set the Washington Mardi Gras reception at the Irish chancery for Jan. 30, 2026, and created a small planning group to develop the invite list and save‑the‑date materials. Commissioners asked staff to produce concise event copy and to circulate an agenda and list of priority invitees so industry partners and diplomatic contacts can be engaged quickly.

Administrative items: the commission approved minutes of its Dec. 10, 2024 meeting and adjourned following the agenda.

Next steps identified during the meeting included circulating a one‑page briefing for Irish ministers, inviting Venture Global to host a site visit, developing a targeted delegation list for Ireland, and convening the commission again before the holidays to finalize Jan. 30 plans.