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Trade in goods from continental European markets to and from Ireland will be severely disrupted by France’s decision to ban all freight traffic from entering its territory for 48 hours.
This will immediately stop the movement of goods across the so-called UK land bridge from Ireland to mainland markets. It is also likely to disrupt cargo coming in the opposite direction, as while the UK will still allow trucks to enter from France, many drivers will not want to travel for fear of not being able to return.
Aidan Flynn, general manager of the Freight Forwarding Association, an Irish group, said it was a “perfect storm” with Covid-19, pre-Brexit warehousing and Christmas supplies dropping at the same time.
The industry is warning that truckers could be stranded in the UK or France and has asked the government for help.
Dover closed
Last night, the port of Dover, through which many Irish exporters and importers move goods, announced that it was closed to road transport and passengers leaving the UK “until further notice”. Containers can continue to be shipped unaccompanied.
The UK government’s Cobra emergency committee will meet on Monday to discuss the situation, and the movement of goods traffic is high on the agenda. Since EU ministers must also discuss the situation, both sides can try to find a way to allow the load to flow. The Eurotunnel is also closing.
The issue will be a major issue for Irish exporters and importers. While the Government has said that cargo movements between Ireland and the UK will continue, the movement of goods through UK ports appears to be effectively halted. This will cause a particular headache for businesses dealing in time sensitive food products. Approximately 150,000 truck movements a year are recorded across the land bridge to and from Ireland.
Direct routes
In recent months, before Brexit, several direct routes have been opened from Irish ports to mainland ones and some deliveries are likely to be redirected to these services.
According to Mr. Flynn, the latest developments would test whether there is sufficient direct capacity, as stated by the Government. Direct routes usually take longer and therefore cost more than normal use of the land bridge. There have already been significant delays through Kent on the way to Dover in recent days due to the build-up of stocks ahead of the UK’s exit from the EU trading bloc at the end of the year.
The UK’s exit from the EU single market is expected to cause delays in the movement of goods due to new customs procedures, and if there is no trade agreement, the delays could be worse.
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