[1andrew1]

More Project Fear

Northern Ireland loses new Stena ferry as Brexit deal disrupts trade

Vessel switched to Ireland-France route after demand rises from traders wanting to avoid bureaucracy

Ferry operator Stena has removed a new vessel from a service between Northern Ireland and Britain in the latest sign that post-Brexit trade rules are driving traffic away from the UK.

The company has instead deployed the Stena Embla in the Republic of Ireland to meet surging demand for direct shipments to and from mainland Europe as traders change supply chains to avoid additional paperwork in Britain. Many companies that traditionally shipped goods between Ireland and Europe via Britain, a route known as the UK land bridge, have diverted this year to direct European shipments because of concern about procedures since the end of the Brexit transition period.

But Stena’s move was unplanned, coming only days after it introduced the Embla on its service between Belfast and Birkenhead in England, where it was supposed to replace one of its two smaller vessels on the route.

The Embla arrived in Belfast from China on January 2 but was reassigned to the south-eastern Irish port of Rosslare 11 days later in what the company described as a “Brexit-busting” move. It will replace a smaller vessel — one of two on a booming route between Rosslare and Cherbourg, France.

https://www.ft.com/content/085de325-...2-071fe89153e0