COVID 19 and Brexit are taking their toll on the movement of goods between Ireland and the UK, according to FTA Ireland.

The impact of COVID 19 (restricted movement ) coupled with the new regulatory requirements as a result of our new relationship with Britain has resulted in significant reductions in the movement of goods particularly imports into Ireland from Britain since the 1st of January 2021, FTA Ireland says.

The volume of goods coming into Irish ports from the UK is down by approximately 50 per cent FTA Ireland has estimated

“There is a 100 per cent year-on-year increase in the amount of freight trade moving directly between Ireland and continental Europe. This is supported by Rosslare Europort now offering 14 sailings a week between Rosslare and Cherbourg. Between Ireland and France, weekly sailings to Northern France have increased from 12 in January 2020 to 36 this year,” Aidan Flynn, general Manager FTA Ireland commented.

He added: “Britain is still a very important trade partner for Ireland. The Irish Government, the EU Commission and the UK Government must work closer to develop upon the trade agreement that was delivered on the 24th of December and support industry to transition to the new trading reality. In the meantime we know what needs to be done, the paperwork needs to be completed correctly and we need to work together to increase the trade flows between Britain and Ireland,” he concluded

FTA Ireland

About the Author: John Loughran