Trade frictions following Brexit have ‘significantly altered’ freight traffic between Ireland and Britain and have led to a steep rise in volumes to and from Ireland and other European Union (EU) nations, according to the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO), which recently said the most significant factor behind this is traders abandoning the once-speedier British 'land bridge'.
At the ‘land bridge’, hauliers took a short sea crossing between Dublin and Holyhead in Wales, drove across Britain and then took another ferry to mainland Europe.Post-Brexit trade frictions have 'significantly altered' freight traffic between Ireland and Britain and have led to a steep rise in volumes to and from Ireland and other European Union nations, according to the Irish Maritime Development Office, which said the most significant factor behind this is traders abandoning the once-speedier British 'land bridge'.#
Many are shunning the route over concerns about delays and disruption due to new customs controls, IMDO's quarterly report found.
The introduction of checks on some goods since neighbouring Britain left the EU's trading orbit on December 31 last year cut imports from Britain by 35 per cent in the first five months of this year while the number of shipping routes to mainland Europe more than doubled.
So-called roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) traffic between Irish and British ports was 20 per cent lower in the second quarter compared to the same pre-coronavirus pandemic period in 2019 while volumes on Irish/EU routes were up 99 per cent on 2019, IMDO was quoted as saying by a global newswire.
Overall volumes were 0.2 per cent lower than the second quarter of 2019, providing a more reliable comparison than previous quarters, which were distorted by pre-Brexit stockpiling and tough COVID-19 restrictions.
Traffic between Irish and British ports now accounts for 67 per cent of all Irish Ro-Ro volumes compared to 84 per cent two years ago. Direct routes to the EU have doubled their share to 33 per cent.
This does not automatically imply greater trade with other EU member states, IMDO said, but rather a reconfiguration of supply chains away from the UK land bridge.
Freight traffic through ports in Northern Ireland also rose to the highest level since 2007 as hauliers who traditionally accessed markets in the English midlands and southeast via Dublin Port instead shipped goods directly from Northern Ireland.
While some checks have been introduced on goods travelling from the rest of the United Kingdom into Northern Ireland, goods can travel freely the other way. However, before Brexit, shipping via Dublin was a speedier option for hauliers.
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