SATURDAY, 13 NOVEMBER was a record day at Rosslare Europort, says Glenn Carr.
Over the course of the day, almost 1,000 units of freight travelled through the ferry hub, according to the ports general manager, making it one of the busiest days in the history of the Wexford port.
This level of activity is something that Carr and his team have had to get used to in 2021.
So far this year, the volume of cargo travelling through the Wexford port has ballooned by 55%, according to Carr. Because of an increase in direct trade with Europe, continental freight volumes which have skyrocketed by 378%, Carr says are driving the overall numbers.
Once upon a time not long ago, Stena Lines Fishguard and Irish Ferries Pembroke services, both in Wales, accounted for most of Rosslares business.
Our only services to the continent, going back over 18 months ago, would have been primarily Stena Lines three services a week to the port of Cherbourg in France, Carr explains.
But there are now 30 weekly services operating to and from Rosslare and the continent, compared to just three or so pre-Brexit.
Overall, there are now 44 direct routes from ports in Ireland to continental Europe up from around a dozen last year.
Rosslare Europort on 13 November
Whats being captured by these numbers is a major shift in the rhythms of Irish trade, brought about by Brexit.
Typically, prior to Brexit, you were probably looking at about 120,000 freight units a year going into the port every year and in or around close to a million passengers pre-pandemic, Carr toldThe Journallast week.
But in 2021, Irish importers are bringing in fewer goods from the United Kingdom than they were a year ago. At the same time, indigenous companies are exporting and importing more directly to and from the continent, fueling demand for direct sailings.
As a result, Rosslare Irelands closest sea trading hub to the continentgeographically is now the main Irish port for roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) traffic serving Europe, Carr says. And having fixed its gaze firmly on Europe in recent years, the Iarnrd ireann-operated hubs importance within the national port network looks set to grow even more over the coming months and years.
Further shocks
Carr took the reins at the port a little over three years when the question of what sort of Brexit, hard or soft, we would end up with was largely unanswered.
At the time, Rosslare had essentially just two customers Stena Line and Irish Ferries.
While they were very good customers to us, Carr says, Rosslare was massively dependant on their business.
This became abundantly clear when Irish Ferries pulled its Rosslare to France services in 2018, choosing to operate from Dublin Port instead.
Even without the threat of Brexit, it became obvious that the port would have to grow to protect itself from further shocks.
We undertook a strategic review of the port and we identified a number of core areas that could be developed. One of those was the business role, the actual business itself, Carr says.
He recalls, We asked ourselves, What are the fundamental strengths of Rosslare Port?
And one of the fundamental strengths is that were the closest port geographically to Europe. Sailing-wise, youre quicker getting to the main ports in Europe from Rosslare than any other port in Ireland. So that always struck me as an advantage.
Obviously, we also saw that with the likely outcome that was emerging from Brexit, the chances were that supply chains were going to change fundamentally because the fundamental point was that Britain was exiting Europe and becoming a third [region].
The ports response was to get out into the market, Carr says, and aggressively promote Rosslare as an alternative RoRo port to Dublin.
Roll-on/roll-off or RoRo refers to a type of cargo shipping service where trucks or trailers are loaded directly onto the ferry with the cargo theyre transporting, taking the journey along with the goods.
Theyre considered quicker and cheaper than Load-on/Load-off (LoLo) services when the truck pulls up to the board and unloads the cargo, which is then loaded onto a container and put on the vessel.
RoPax services, then, are ones that facilitate roll-on/roll-off cargo transport and also passengers travelling aboard the ferries.
As a RoPax port, Rosslare saw the passenger side of its businesses devastated by travel restrictions at the outset of the pandemic in March and April 2020. But around the same time, something else was beginning as businesses began to wake up to the potential for Brexit-related disruption.
I definitely got a sense from around March, April last year, exporters and importers were beginning to look at alternative suppliers, Carr says.
Glenn Carr, Rosslare Europort's general manager
The UK landbridge which usually refers to a route linking Dublin, Holyhead, and Cherbourg or Le Havre in Northern France was once considered the cheapest, quickest way to get goods into Ireland from Europe or move them in the opposite direction.
But with Brexit, at that stage, looming over the horizon and with it the prospect of customs checks, additional costs and lengthy queues in Great Britain, alternative arrangements for trading with Europe were quickly becoming very appealing.
Then everything started to change for Rosslare Europort.
Traffic congestion
In the March before Brexit, Brittany Ferries made a move to come to Rosslare. So that was the first thing, Carr says.
Brittany were operating to Spain from Cork but the service wasnt doing very well and the haulage industry was telling them that they needed to operate from Rosslare.
Traffic congestion at Dublin and Cork ports in 2019 and the fear that it would only get worse as a result of Brexit had created demand from hauliers for new services from Rosslare, Carr explains.
He says, Were just over 90 minutes from greater Dublin. There were times where hauliers were telling me they were 90 minutes in traffic trying to get into Dublin Port.
So I believed that there was demand in Dublin and Cork from hauliers, given their geographical location, who would prefer to come to Rosslare. We proved that then when Brittany Ferries came to Rosslare.
After that, things began to snowball.
Around the same time, Danish shipping company DFDS approached Rosslare about a new direct route from the port to Dunkirk in France. That service got up and running shortly after Britains formal withdrawal from the EU in January 2021.
Ships lining up ahead of Brexit Day last January
Earlier this month, Brittany Ferries announced a new sailing from Rosslare to Le Havre in Northern France. The ports existing customers have also increased capacity on direct European routes.
All of this is being driven by demand from Irish businesses and hauliers.
Part of it is companies wanting to avoid the landbridge, Carr says.
#Open journalism No news is bad news Support The Journal
Your contributions will help us continue to deliver the stories that are important to you
Theres definitely been more engagement from both importers and exporters about direct sailings, says Carr.
Thats on two fronts. One is that the landbridge, which was traditionally the way you went. The reality is now, though, when you add in all the extra preparation, the customs checks that have to be cleared, the risks that you could get stopped at border inspections and the time thats lost there when you add that altogether and you look at a direct route, you can basically go hassle-free. So a significant number of companies have directed that their supply chains move away from that immediately.
But the other factor is Irish businesses finding new customers and new suppliers in Europe as an alternative to Britain.
In particular industries, were definitely seeing where traditionally a lot of goods were sourced in the UK or exported to the UK, theres been a switch to Europe, he says.
We definitely see it in the port in terms of the mix of goods that are there now ingredients, food, dairy, pharmaceuticals.
In the year so far, Carr says overall freight volumes travelling to and from the UK through Rosslare are down 55% compared with the same period last year. Earlier this month, Dublin Port said its overall UK trade volumes were down 21% while Central Statistics Offices figures published last week revealed overall Irish imports from Great Britain are also down 21%.
He expects these trends to continue in 2022. Asked what his biggest Brexit-related concern is for the coming year, Carr claims he doesnt have any major ones.
We would like to see our UK traffic return to a more appropriate level than what it is at the moment, he says.
Well be working with our shipping lines on what we can do as a port to help them get more trade going. But I dont have concerns about next year. I have great excitement about further opportunities.
At some stage next year, the UK is set to finally implement long-delayed checks on goods coming into Great Britain from the EU.
Well see if that happens, Carr says, and depending on how that happens, and the degree of what happens, we could see even further substantial demand for additional direct services.
Wed like to think, however, that we will find a sensible solution that will ensure we ultimately will always trade with the UK.
This work is co-funded by Journal Media and a grant programme from the European Parliament. Any opinions or conclusions expressed in this work is the authors own. The European Parliament has no involvement in nor responsibility for the editorial content published by the project. For more information, seehere.
Continue reading here:
- Its clearer than ever that Brexit has failed lets not inflict its miseries on young people - The Guardian - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- 'I might as well stop and diversify into holiday lets' new research reveals the reality of farming after Brexit - The Conversation - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- French bank to close dozens of Britons' accounts citing Brexit - The Connexion - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- UK-US trade deal 'could be easier' with Donald Trump in the White House, says Lord Frost - Express - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Labour's Brexit conundrum - The Week - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Post-Brexit UK Risks Being 'Left Out In The Cold' As EU Coordinates Action On Shortages - Pink Sheet - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Brussels wants post-Brexit talks with UK on new youth mobility rights - POLITICO Europe - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Ravaged by austerity, chastened by Brexit: how can Britain have influence abroad when its broken at home? - The Guardian - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Sunak rejects offer of youth mobility scheme between EU and UK - The Guardian - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Brexit, austerity and how Labour could fix Britain - Tortoise - Tortoise Media - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- NYSE considers 24/7 trading; Goldman Sachs moves senior banker to Paris amid post-Brexit overhaul - The Banker - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- EU Delighted by Prospect of UK Labour Reneging on Brexit - The European Conservative - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Reverse the Brexit fiasco! - Workers' Liberty - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- The writing is on the wall Starmer and Brussels will undo Brexit - The Telegraph - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- UK to delay start of health and safety checks on EU imports report - The Guardian - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Journalist Asks David Cameron Outright If Rwanda Bill Is A Consequence Of Brexit - HuffPost UK - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- 'We retired to Spain after Brexit and it's much cheaper - the UK seems miserable' - inews - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- The EU would rather destroy the planet than let Brexit succeed - The Telegraph - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- War heroes and Brexit: Why Greeks will always love the British - The Telegraph - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- WATCH: Castletownbere fishermen to feature in documentary on impact of Brexit | Southern Star - The Southern Star - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Britons told their French bank accounts 'are being closed due to Brexit' - inews - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Post-Brexit border controls delayed again in the UK - hortidaily.com - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- UK rejects mobility agreement with Europe to help young people travel and live abroad - The Independent - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- EU proposing post-Brexit joint youth work and study scheme with UK - Sky News - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Brexit border checks will start from 30 April - Fruitnet - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Lord of the Rings star Dominic Monaghan says 'Brexit was a con' and urges others to take action - Manchester Evening News - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- The EU has finally admitted it needs Britain more than we need it - The Telegraph - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- The Brexit revelations: May's no-deal, a Canada plan and mating porcupines - The Times - April 24th, 2024 [April 24th, 2024]
- Italian citizens bank accounts frozen owing to shameful post-Brexit rules - The Guardian - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- EU Policy. UK hails financial access deal with Switzerland after Brexit losses - Euronews - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Brexit: How the NI Protocol became the Windsor Framework - BBC.com - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- EU Approves Three-Year Delay to Post-Brexit Tariffs on EVs - OilPrice.com - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Travel chaos is 'only going to get worse' when new EU fingerprint checks come in - NationalWorld - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- British exporters call on government to ease post-Brexit trade frictions with EU - The Guardian - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Brits visiting Europe will have to give fingerprints under new rules - Metro.co.uk - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Ursula von der Leyen humiliated as UK forced major EU climbdown in Brexit car victory - Express - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Modern slavery a feature of care sector in England since Brexit - The Guardian - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- US president Joe Biden ditches trade deal talks with Britain over fears of job losses - The Independent - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Brexit inflation: The role of trade policy uncertainty in increasing UK import prices - CEPR - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- UK and EU Reach Accord on Post-Brexit Electric Car Tariff Postponement - IndiaTimes - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- How are Brexit travel restrictions easing outbound and inbound? - The Independent - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Jeremy Hunt to strike post-Brexit banking deal with Switzerland - Yahoo Finance UK - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Britain was right to Brexit | MoneyWeek - MoneyWeek - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Brexit pain could be eased for Brits with homes in France - The Independent - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- DUP talks about post-Brexit trading have ended, Northern Ireland secretary says - The Guardian - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Have voters cooled on the prospect of re-joining the EU? - UK in a Changing Europe - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Brexit will really start to bite us in 2024. How ready are you? - The Independent - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- UK ditches company working time rules in further post-Brexit red tape cuts - City A.M. - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Sovereignty, economy, immigration: still the three pillars of the Brexit ... - UK in a Changing Europe - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Just because Brexit isnt on the frontpages, doesnt mean its settled - UK in a Changing Europe - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Post-Brexit EU clearing rules set for more relaxed approach - International Financing Review - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- There's trouble in store for post-Brexit Britain - The New European - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- SMEs feel the squeeze from Brexit - Financial Times - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Three years of polling on the Protocol reveals the depth of the new ... - Newswise - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- James O'Brien on post-Brexit Britain: 'This conflation of patriotism ... - The Irish Times - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- What's really behind GB News signing Boris as the voice of Brexit ... - Prospect Magazine - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Revealed: How Brexit and the Covid hangover are affecting the ... - Car Dealer Magazine - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Grayson Perry's portrait from the edge - The New European - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Bankers bonuses are back and the long 2010s dominated by Brexit ... - City A.M. - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Ports and truckers clash over post-Brexit border costs - Financial Times - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- What would the UK look like without Brexit? - The New Statesman - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- The long road of Brexit: A shifting regulatory reality - New Food - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Make-or-break moment looms for Northern Ireland's failed government - POLITICO Europe - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Barry Jones The Voice is our Brexit moment - The Saturday Paper - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Mark Carney Has Delivered A Stunning Takedown Of Brexit And Liz Truss - Yahoo Movies UK - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- It's not just the 'Remainers' whingeing Britain really is broken - The Australian Financial Review - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- UK SMEs not ready for 'avalanche' of Brexit 2.0 rules and taxes - Financial Times - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Brexit Bitterness Continues To Cloud Reporting The European Conservative - The European Conservative - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Green Brexit doesn't extend to pesticide protections - Footprint - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Theresa May says her Brexit deal was better than Boris Johnson's - POLITICO Europe - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Remainer UK civil servants were in tears over Brexit, top official says - POLITICO Europe - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Mark Carney Has Delivered A Stunning Takedown Of Brexit And Liz Truss - Yahoo News Canada - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- More Brits than ever say Brexit was wrong choice: YouGov survey - Reuters UK - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Britain's fishing industry in line for post-Brexit boost following the end of EU red tape - Daily Mail - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Tabloids are misleading their readers over Brexit at their own peril - The Media Leader - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- UK Support to Rejoin the EU Passes 50% for the First Time Since Brexit - Yahoo News - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Record Numbers of Brits Regretting Brexit, Survey Shows - SchengenVisaInfo.com - SchengenVisaInfo.com - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Almost two-thirds of Brits think Brexit has been a failure - The New European - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- Five ways UK fashion industry can grow post-Brexit, Covid - just-style.com - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]
- British companies start to grapple with 'Brexit 2.0' - Financial Times - July 19th, 2023 [July 19th, 2023]