Last modified on Wed 6 Jan 2021 15.17 EST
Northern Ireland is facing disruptions to its food supply because suppliers in Great Britain are unaware of the Brexit-related paperwork needed to send goods to the region, business leaders have said.
Trucks are arriving at GB ports with incorrect or absent documentation that delays their passage across the Irish Sea, they told MPs on Wednesday.
Many operators in Great Britain seemed unaware that since 11pm on New Year’s Eve Northern Ireland was applying EU customs rules at its ports, meaning goods crossing the Irish Sea from other parts of the UK were subject to customs checks, Seamus Leheny, of the freight trade body Logistics UK, told the Northern Ireland affairs committee. “We had lorries arriving into Belfast with no documentation at all … it’s the lack of preparation on the GB side.”
A DUP MP has challenged a logistics chief to call for the removal of the Northern Ireland Protocol as an “impediment to trade”.
Ian Paisley made the call six days into the operation of the mechanism which means the region effectively remains in the single market for goods and operates under different regulatory and customs arrangements to the rest of the UK.
The initial days of the operation have seen some lorries detained for hours over paperwork.
However, Seamus Leheny of Logistics UK queried what was available to replace the protocol, and said its removal, via article 16, could cause more chaos.
Empty shelves in M&S not sign of post-Brexit food supply problems, industry body says
Photos of empty shelves in M&S stores have caused a stir in recent days. By Ceimin Burke Wednesday 6 Jan 2021, 8:23 PM Jan 6th 2021, 8:23 PM 73,628 Views 60 Comments
Empty shelves at the M&S store in Blackrock, Dublin, on 5 January.
Image: Barbara Scully
Image: Barbara Scully
THE MAJORITY OF retailers are not experiencing major difficulties with their supply lines in the aftermath of Brexit and empty shelves in Marks & Spencer stores are not indicative of a wider issue, Ireland’s largest retail representative body has said.
Photos of empty shelves at M&S stores in Dublin caused a stir on social media in recent days, with many wondering if it was a harbinger of things to come now that the UK has officially left the European Union.
| UPDATED: 16:48, Sun, Jan 3, 2021
Link copied Sign up for FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again
SUBSCRIBE Invalid email
When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Boris Johnson has suggested the UK will ban large fishing trawlers which are doing enormous damage to the marine environment and to fish stocks. The Prime Minister set out beneficial changes to rules for the UK s fishing waters.