Irish trade with Northern Ireland surges after Brexit

Bloomberg

Trade between Ireland and Northern Ireland surged during 2021 following the UKs formal departure from the European Union.
Imports from Northern Ireland to the Irish Republic jumped 65% compared to a year earlier, while exports from the Republic to Northern Ireland rise 54%, Ireland’s Central Statistics Office said.
Meanwhile, imports to Ireland from the rest of the UK dropped 13% from 2020.
Following Brexit, checks were introduced on goods travelling into Ireland and Northern Ireland from Great Britain. In response, some British-based retailers have stopped selling into the island of Ireland.
In contrast, Irish firms have increased trade with Northern Ireland, with goods able to move freely between two jurisdictions. Irish exports to Great Britain rise 17% over the year.
Meanwhile, the make-up of trade passing through Dublin Port changed “significantly” in 2021 as Brexit controls hit Irish trade with UK and more items were moved directly between Ireland and continental Europe.
Overall volumes for the year fall 5.2% compared to 2020, the port said in a statement, while the fourth quarter saw volumes drop 10.3% following a “pre-Brexit spike” in period a year earlier.
Traditionally goods moving between Ireland and the continent travelled through Great Britain. Since Brexit, use of that so-called land bridge has reduced as more businesses seek to transfer goods to the likes of France directly. A string of ferry services between Ireland and the continent have begun or expanded service in the past year.