Dublin, Ireland: The volume of goods shipped directly from Ireland to the EU has increased by 50% in the past six months, according to the Irish Maritime Development Office.
Traffic has diverted from the traditional routes between Dublin and Britain to some of the 32 new ferry services direct to ports such as Le Havre, Cherbourg and Dunkirk in France and Zeebrugge in Belgium.
The Irish Maritime Development Office report shows freight volumes from Dublin port to Liverpool and Holyhead down 19% in the first three-quarters of 2021, compared with 2020, and down by 30% on the two routes from Rosslare in south-east Ireland to the Welsh ports of Pembroke and Fishguard.
“It is clear that the new trading arrangements between Ireland and the UK have had a significant and negative effect upon ro-ro freight traffic between the two countries,” the IMDO report said.
“Underpinning all of these trends are the new customs and trading arrangements between Ireland and the UK that came into force on 1 January 2021,” it added.
“One-third of all ro-ro in the Republic of Ireland now operates on direct routes to ports in the EU, up from a 16% share in 2019,” the IMDO said.
Traffic for the second and third quarters of this year show Irish Republic to EU traffic is already up by 52% compared with the entirety of 2019, it said.
However, freight to and from Northern Irish ports has risen: by 5% in Belfast, 18% in Larne and 20% at Warrenpoint. Historically, Northern Irish hauliers have preferred the Dublin-Holyhead route as the quickest way to access markets in the south and south-east of England, but some have now eschewed the route “to avoid the new customs requirements involved between Ireland and UK ports”, the report said.
Direct French ferry routes has risen from 12 before Brexit to 44 in 2021. Rosslare Europort has benefited most, now taking 49% of EU traffic, with another 49% going through Dublin and 2% via Cork.
Rosslare Europort said last Saturday was its busiest day ever. Glenn Carr, general manager, Rosslare Europort, said: “In particular industries, we’re definitely seeing where traditionally a lot of goods were sourced in the UK or exported to the UK, there’s been a switch to Europe. We definitely see it in the port in terms of the mix of goods that are there now – ingredients, food, dairy, pharmaceuticals.”
