The Economic and Social Research Institute’s (ESRI) last report shows that trade between Ireland and Britain “declined sharply” following Brexit. The paper’s focus was on trade patterns between Britain and Ireland, and also for Northern Ireland, before and after January 2021.
Researchers established that although Brexit did not cause a significant reduction in overall Irish exports to the UK, there have been sharp declines in food, beverage, fuel and animal fat exports to Britain. These declines were partially offset by increased exports to Northern Ireland and the phased implementation of customs checks by the UK.
The ESRI said that the overall amount of Irish goods exported to Britain was almost 11% in 2015, but fell to 6.3% in 2021. Produce from Ireland being sent to Northern Ireland increased marginally over that period from 1.4% to 1.7%.
In 2015, Irish food exports to Britain stood at 27%. In 2021 it declined to 18.6%. There was a sharp fall in beverages sent to Britain – from 17.6% to 7.2%; and the export of fuel and animal fat to the UK also dramatically fell.
The amount of goods imported from Britain to Ireland fell from 23.2% in 2015 to 7.2% last year. British food produce brought into Ireland fell from 29% in 2015, to almost 12% in 2021; and beverages tumbled from 31% to 9.3%.
The report found that the amount of fuel imported to Ireland from Britain dropped from nearly 37% in 2015 to 11% last year – possibly due to travel restrictions. Machinery imports from Britain dropped from 15.2% to 5.3% over the timeframe.
Goods imported from Northern Ireland to Ireland increased from 1.5% in 2015 to 5% in the wake of Brexit, but the ESRI commented that the increase was from a low base and does not offset the decline in trade with Britain.
LSL News.