Irish carriers warn of ‘chaos’ in ports as UK officially leaves EU

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Irish carriers have warned of “chaos” in ports after the UK formally left the EU.

After 48 years as a member of the European Union, the UK left the bloc at 11pm on New Year’s Eve, becoming a third country for trade purposes and customs declarations.

New documentation and red tape are now required between EU member states and Britain, which is anticipated to cause massive delays at ports.

While a small number of ships were arriving Thursday night, they were expected to be covered by the above arrangements.

The first ships to face the additional requirements are expected to arrive early on New Years Day.

The president of the Irish Road Transport Association (IRHA) said there would be “trouble and chaos” in the coming weeks as the systems had not been tested.

Eugene Drennan said carriers were preparing for significant delays.

“The systems have not been tested, they have not been tested,” he said.

“There will be delays, for sure. The chaos looming in Dublin Port is incredible.

“They have done nothing to alleviate it. They have a plan that is absolutely absurd, and the nature of it and the way it is designed and the structure of it is going to cause a lot of pain.

“There will be trouble and chaos.”

He predicted problems at the island’s ports for the foreseeable future.

“It will be a big problem,” he said. “Four boats arriving at the same time in the morning. All this regulation. There is no space for a driver to stop at Dublin Port. There are no facilities and all the money that has been spent. It is outrageous “.

Trucks board the last DFDS ferry from Kent's Port of Dover before the Brexit transition period ends at 11pm GMT, ushering in a new era in the UK's relationship with the European Union. Image: Gareth Fuller / PA Wire
Trucks board the last DFDS ferry from Kent’s Port of Dover before the Brexit transition period ends at 11pm GMT, ushering in a new era in the UK’s relationship with the European Union. Image: Gareth Fuller / PA Wire

Drennan asked why all the paperwork was necessary when an agreement had been reached.

“That is the burning question: why do we need all this regulation if there are no fees?” I ask.

“There was bureaucracy in this because they were leaving the EU.

“Now that they walk away with a deal and an agreement, why is all that needed? Why do we put the cost in the business? Why are we going through all these obstacles? “

He said many companies were stockpiling products before Brexit because they “were afraid of the tariffs, they were afraid of the costs and they were afraid of the supply.”

Aidan Flynn, general manager of the Freight Transport Association of Ireland (FTAI), said there was going to be a period of “unprecedented change” for the movement of goods and that delays were “unavoidable”.

“There are no tariffs, but there are obligations for bureaucratic procedures, administrative burdens such as import / export declarations and additional controls for products of animal origin,” he said.

“While the industry has done its best to prepare for it, there is nothing like dealing with it in real time and there hasn’t been much time to prepare.”

The trucks arrive at the Port of Dover in Kent before the Brexit transition period ends at 11pm GMT, ushering in a new era in the UK's relationship with the European Union. Image: Gareth Fuller / PA Wire
The trucks arrive at the Port of Dover in Kent before the Brexit transition period ends at 11pm GMT, ushering in a new era in the UK’s relationship with the European Union. Image: Gareth Fuller / PA Wire

Mr. Flynn added that the New Year is traditionally a quiet time for freight, but predicted that once the goods start moving next week there will be delays.

“The reality is that having to enter information into systems that have not been solidly tested will create unavoidable problems for the industry,” he said.

“What we really hope is that key stakeholders like Revenue and the Department of Agriculture take a pragmatic approach.

“We don’t want to see scenes of drivers and carriers parked on the side of the road, whether in Holyhead or Dublin, trying to get on a ferry because they don’t have the correct documentation.”

The trucks arrive at the Port of Dover in Kent before the Brexit transition period ends at 11pm GMT, ushering in a new era in the UK's relationship with the European Union. Image: Gareth Fuller / PA Wire
The trucks arrive at the Port of Dover in Kent before the Brexit transition period ends at 11pm GMT, ushering in a new era in the UK’s relationship with the European Union. Image: Gareth Fuller / PA Wire

He warned there would be a supply chain effect caused by delays: “If we’re in the 40-70% non-compliance range, that means those vehicles can’t board ships and there’s only limited space for these guys to leave.”

He said it would make “practical sense” for ports like Dublin to stagger ferry arrivals to “reduce stress and strain”, but to date that has not happened.

“We would definitely support a review by the transport operators in terms of amazing ferry times,” he said.

“The busiest time of day in Dublin is between 5 am and 7 am and between 5 pm and 7 pm. That only intensifies the situation.

“All stakeholders, including transport operators and everyone in the supply chain, will have to adjust the way they have done business, otherwise they will all continue to feed the funnel that creates congestion, delays and uncertainty.

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