Ireland seeks its own ‘landbridge’ to continental EU

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Despite the eleventh-hour agreement between the EU and UK on tariff- and quota-free trade, the new rules on customs formalities have led to an increase in the costs for Irish importers and exporters using the UK landbridge between the country and continental Europe. Euractive reports that Brexit has led to a surge in new shipping capacity between Ireland and Europe as shippers and their logistics providers try to keep shipments within the single market. “Many Irish hauliers are already charting new routes guaranteeing freight remains inside the single market and customs union, and outside the scope of delay. Rosslare Europort – Ireland’s second busiest freight hub – is already running 28 weekly services to or from mainland Europe, up from 10 before the end of the Brexit transition.”