Update on Brexit - March 2021

The Irish Government has published its latest update on the situation following Brexit.

Read the March 2021 Publication from the Department of the Taoiseach

Key points include:

  • Exporters urged to prepare for new UK import controls
  • Businesses encouraged to identify & communicate with key supply chain players
  • Trade volumes on ROI/GB routes remain behind 2020 figures
  • 150% increase in frequency of direct sailings to Europe
  • Govt and agencies continue to engage with businesses & individuals to address post Brexit challenges

Freight vehicle movements into Ireland from Great Britain have increased from 1,423 movements in the first week of the year, to 7,263 movements last week. There are however indications that the rate of growth is now flattening.

For the eight-week period in 2021 (Jan-Feb), ROI-GB freight volumes are down by around 40% and up on direct Continental services by around 80% compared to the same period in 2020. This is due to a number of factors in addition to the new Brexit related checks and controls, including significant stockpiling at the end of 2020, greater use of direct routes and the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As of February 2021, there are around 68 RoRo freight sailings between Ireland and the Continent in a typical week. This includes five shipping operators, Irish Ferries, Stena Line, DFDS, Brittany Ferries and CLDN offering both accompanied and unaccompanied freight. This represents an increase of around 34 sailings per week, or around 150% increase in continental RoRo frequency compared to February 2020.

The increase in choice and frequency in the RoRo freight market over the past year has had a very significant impact on freight capacity to continental EU ports. Weekly RoRo freight capacity to continental EU ports has doubled in the past 12 months.

The largest increase in capacity has come on RoRo services to Northern France. In January 2020, capacity to Northern France represented 35% of all continental EU capacity. As of February 2021, it now accounts for around 49%.

Unaccompanied RoRo freight is an essential component of continental RoRo capacity. In 2020, unaccompanied RoRo freight made up over 80% of all continental RoRo volume.

Overall weekly RoRo freight is up on direct routes to the continent while it is down on GB/Ireland routes due to a combination of factors such as COVID 19 restrictions, seasonality, stockpiling in 2020, shifts to direct RoRo routes to the continent, shifts to unaccompanied freight (both RoRo and LoLo) and new customs arrangements.

There have been 22 separate interventions by Ro/Ro+ Lo/Lo freight operators in the past 12 months in response to Brexit. What the last number of months have demonstrated is the resilience and responsiveness of the Irish Shipping Industry.

New Direct Ferry Routes to Europe:

OPERATOR ROUTE INTERVENTION DATE
CLDN Cork – Zeebrugge New Service May-2020
CLDN Santander – Liverpool – Dublin New Service June 2020
ICL (LOLO) Cork to USA New Service June 2020
BG Freightline (LOLO) Waterford -Liverpool Rotterdam New Service July 2020
CLDN Leixoes – Dublin – Liverpool New Service September 2020
CMA-CGM (LO/LO) Dublin / Rotterdam / Cork / Dunkirk New Service November 2020
Irish Ferries Dublin / Cherbourg Schedule Change January 2021 – 7 day rotation
Stena Line Rosslare / Cherbourg Schedule Change January 2021 – 7 day rotation
Stena Line Rosslare/Cherbourg Additional Vessel January 2021
DFDS / EURoRo Rosslare / Dunkirk New Service January 2020
CLDN Cork / Zeebrugge Additional Vessel January 2021
Eucon Dublin / Rotterdam Additional Vessel January 2021
Brittany Ferries Cork-Roscoff Additional Vessel March 2021
Brittany Ferries Rosslare to Cherbourg New Service January 2021
Stena Line Dublin – Cherbourg New Service January 2021
Irish Ferries Dublin - Cherbourg Additional Vessel (Temporary) January 2021
Irish Ferries Dublin - Cherbourg Vessel Change (WB Yeats) January 2021
Samskip Dublin - Amsterdam New Service January 2021
Stena Line Rosslare - Cherbourg Vessel Change (Embla) January 2021
CLDN Dublin – Rotterdam Vessel Change January 2021
Brittany Ferries Rosslare -St Malo New Service February 2021
Brittany Ferries Cork-Roscoff New Service February 2021