In response to confirmation today (15 December 2021) that Irish traders will be exempt from some new Brexit import requirements from January 2022 as a consequence of the ongoing negotiations around the Northern Ireland protocol, Aidan Flynn, CEO of FTA Ireland (FTAI) comments: 

“The clarity provided by Lord Frost today will provide Irish businesses with some of the certainty they need to plan their supply chain operations effectively as the next stage of Brexit import requirements comes into force. However, Irish traders must remember that while they are exempt from the requirement of prenotification of imports to Great Britain, they will still need to prepare to comply with the introduction of customs and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements from July 2022; traders must ensure they are as fully prepared as possible for these changes to support smooth trade flows. 

“Now, the full implementation of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement must become the focus of both the UK and EU governments. The cost to industry of preparing for a plethora of changes, for them to then be discarded at the last minute, is adding to the complexities and costs of doing business and adding unnecessary burdens. FTAI is continuing to press for a breakthrough on the Northern Ireland protocol negotiations, and for governments to concentrate on the implementation of the Agreement to facilitate effective trade across the UK and EU.” 

FTA Ireland is a not-for-profit membership trade association for the Irish freight, passenger and logistics industries. It is wholly owned and governed by its members, and acts solely in advancing their best interests. FTAI covers all aspects of private and public freight transport, passenger transport and logistics supply chain, including road, rail, sea and air. It represents some of the largest freight and passenger operators in Ireland, with more than 25,000 employees and 10,000 vehicles operating between them.  

For more information please visit: https://www.ftai.ie/