Irish Sea shipping services jump as firms stockpile ahead of Brexit

Irish Sea shipping services are experiencing a surge in demand as businesses stockpile items amid continuing uncertainty around postBrexit trading arrangements.

Stena Line, which transports 65 per cent of the freight moving between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, has chartered an extra ship to meet the capacity requirements.

Despite a year that has seen overall demand for freight services hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, dipping by as much as 30 per cent in April, the volume of stock Stena Line moved across the Irish Sea last week was up 6 per cent on the same week in 2019.

Paul Grant, Stena Line’s Irish Sea trade director, said: “We’re seeing big demand pre-brexit.

“I think you can see people are anxious to get their stuff across and make sure they've got enough stock ahead of 1 January.”

That date marks the end of the Brexit transition period and the commencement of trading arrangements governed by the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Under the protocol, which is in the B rex it Withdrawal Agreement, Northern Ire - land will remain in the European Union single market for goods.

That will require additional sanitary and phytosanitary check son animal-based products entering Northern I reland from Great Britain.

The UK and EU have yet to agree a practical framework which could potentially minimise the number of new regulatory checks required.

The major supermarket chains are among those warning about potential disrup - tion to supply lines in the new year if an agreement does not emerge.