The volume of goods shipped directly from the Republic to the EU on new Brexit-busting ferry routes have rocketed by 50% in the past six months as exporters seek to avoid travelling across land through Britain, new data confirms.
The decline in demand for the sea services to Wales and Liverpool has also seen ports in the North — including Larne, Belfast, and Warrenpoint in Co Down — receiving a Brexit dividend, with freight volumes hitting “unprecedented highs in 2021”.
Figures published by the Irish Maritime Development Office show significant traffic diverted away from the traditional routes between Dublin and Britain to some of 32 new ferry services direct to ports such as Le Havre, Cherbourg, and Dunkirk in France, and Zeebrugge in Belgium.
The IMDO report shows freight volumes from Dublin Port to Liverpool and Holyhead in Anglesey down 19% in the first three-quarters of 2021 compared with 2020, and down by 30% on the two routes from Rosslare 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 [roll-on roll-off lorry haulage] freight traffic between the two countries,” the IMDO report said.
“One-third of all ro-ro in the Republic of Ireland now operates on direct routes to ports in the European Union, up from a 16% share in 2019.”
