RHA warns of further Ireland freight turmoil

The strain currently felt on goods movements between Great Britain and the Irish Republic following the end of the Brexit transition period could worsen following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, the Road Haulage Association (RHA) has warned.

The introduction of new customs procedures in January has led many hauliers to alter the routes by which they are moving goods, the RHA reports, thereby avoiding bureaucracy and the potential delays associated with incorrect paperwork.

Many goods are being diverted to Scotland and across the Irish Sea into Northern Ireland, instead of crossing directly into the Republic – despite the fact that this adds hundreds of miles to journeys – in order to be moved freely across the Irish border without facing the new checks.

But as the pandemic eases and the retail and hospitality sectors begin to return to normal, increased demand is likely to see increasing numbers of HGVs adopting such diversions, which the association says could mean ferry services will struggle to provide sufficient capacity.

According to a Sky News analysis last month, ferry data suggests that while the volume of freight moving between Liverpool and Belfast, and Cairnryan and Belfast, has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels since the start of 2021, movements between Holyhead and Dublin have halved over the same period – while volume on the Fishguard-Rosslare crossing has collapsed.

The news followed a notice of legal action by the EU against the UK for breaching provisions of the Northern Ireland Protocol, after the UK government unilaterally extended grace periods relating to border checks for the movement of some types of goods, which were set to expire last month.

The government said the change was “temporary” and “lawful”, while Logistics UK Northern Ireland policy manager Seamus Leheny said it had been “vital to protect supply chains”.