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Dublin Port Trade Continues Shift to Europe Amid Brexit Crunch

Dublin Port Trade Continues Shift to Europe Amid Brexit Crunch

Trade between Dublin Port and the U.K. slumped in the first nine months of the year while business with EU locations surged, continuing a post-Brexit trend.

Volumes on routes between Dublin and British ports fell 21.2% in the year to the end of Sept., Dublin Port said in a statement. At the same time trade with ports in continental Europe jumped 36.3%. The U.K. now accounts for about half of all cargo shipped on pallets or in containers, down from two thirds before the nation left the EU. 

“Some Ro-Ro operators are now opting to use Northern Irish ports instead of Dublin,” Dublin Port Chief Executive Officer Eamonn O’Reilly said, “We believe that this dislocation of trade to ports in Northern Ireland will be a permanent feature.”

Overall throughput at the port fell 3.3% in the 9 months to end of September from a year earlier. 

The change in trade patterns since Brexit has also created “pinch points” in parts of the port, O’Reilly said. As a result it is moving some container depots to a new inland port outside Dublin.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.