Stenaline: Majority of freight accessed Irish and UK ports on day 1 post-Brexit
The Stena Superfast VIII at Loch Ryan Port ahead of its departure to Belfast as the UK leaves the single market and customs union and the Brexit transition period comes to an end. Picture: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire
Stenaline has said that the majority of freight has successfully accessed their ports in Ireland and the UK on the first day post-Brexit.
In a statement, the company said that present freight volumes are markedly down on pre-Christmas/Brexit stockpiling levels so it was too soon to reach any conclusions about the impact.
It said the occasional vehicle had been turned away due to not having the correct customs references, but most have returned later with everything in order and been shipped.
The company is urging people to check and check again that the correct documentation has been filed.
Simon Coveney: No-deal Brexit disruption avoided but things 'changing dramatically'
While Britain and the European union's success in reaching a trade deal is good for Ireland, companies trading with the UK face a new reality, Simon Coveney has warned.
"We have avoided the dramatic disruption of a no-deal Brexit but that doesn't mean things aren't changing, which they are," the Foreign Affairs Minister said.
"Make no mistake - from today on, any company doing business with, through or to the UK is going to face a very new reality."
He said the deal reached between the EU and the UK is one of the most complex future relations deal ever put together as it includes more than just trade but also energy, data security as well as provisions for fair competition provided by a mechanism for dispute resolution as part of the 'level playing field'.
The agreement providing an extension of the Single Market to goods in Northern Ireland is a significant achievement for Ireland and EU negotiator Michel Barnier, Mr Coveney told Morning Ireland. He said it protects the All-Ireland economy and prevents the need for customs checks and a hard border.
Mr Coveney said it is a shame Britain has taken the decision to leave the Single Market as it represented a significant achievement for the UK. The Foreign Affairs Minister said part of the reason it works so well is due to British participation in designing the regulations.
"The irony is that the single market operates as well as it does because of the UK's input [...]unfortunately that's what they're leaving," he said.
The Foreign Minister's comments come as the first ferry has arrived at Dublin Port under new trade rules following the end of the Brexit transition period.
Irish Ferries’ ship Ulysses docked at 5.55am with about a dozen trucks on board, having travelled from Holyhead in Wales.
There were no delays as the freight trailers cleared customs checks for the first time under the new rules.
After 47 years as an EU member state, the UK has become a third country for trade purposes and customs declarations.
New documentation and red tape is now required between EU member states and Britain, which is anticipated to cause massive delays at ports in the coming weeks.
A small number of ships arrived on Thursday night, but they were covered by the previous arrangements.
This morning, the ferry group Stena Line tweeted warning hauliers to have the right documentation for the new regulations after six freight loads were turned away in Wales.
"While it has been quiet in Holyhead so far today, the port authority indicate that six freight loads bound for Ireland have had to be turned away due to not have the correct references. Hauliers please ensure you have your PBNs ready for check-in," the tweet said.
While it has been quiet in Holyhead so far today, the port authority indicate that six freight loads bound for Ireland have had to be turned away due to not have the correct references. Hauliers please ensure you have your PBNs ready for check-in. @WGEconTransport @TrafficWalesN https://t.co/ae7KmPwPxb
— Stena Line (@StenaLine) January 1, 2021
Ireland takes its UN Security Council seat
Meanwhile, Ireland begins its two-year term on the United Nations security council, some 20 years after it last sat on the UN's most powerful body.
Mr Coveney said in normal circumstances without Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic "this would be good news in Ireland" and represents a tremendous opportunity for a small country to influence international affairs.
The Foreign Affairs Minister said Ireland has good relations in the polarised UN between the US, China and Russia, and "speaks to power well".
"A small country like Ireland can actually influence huge decisions globally which affect millions of people around the world," he said.
Mr Coveney said it is a challenging time for Irish diplomats given the issues involved from providing humanitarian aid in Syria to restoring the Iran-nuclear agreement.
“It’s a really exciting opportunity and I intend on taking it,” he said.
As Ireland enters its third lockdown in response to growing Covid-19 case numbers, Mr Coveney said it is a "misreading" to say there is a divide between the National Public Health Emergency Team and the government. "The Government must make decisions [...] we take NPHET's advice very seriously and we act on it."
Mr Coveney said the government must balance a wide variety of factors in its decision making and receives advice from various sources but admitted the pace of the third wave of the coronavirus has been exceptional. “I think the pace of this third wave of the virus has taken everyone by surprise,” he said.
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