Unnecessary Diversions Causing Major Impact

 

Food businesses and importers want to see a ‘common-sense approach’ to agricultural border control checks at the Port of Cork to ensure a smoother supply chain process for fresh food and supplies entering outside of the European single market.

 

Over 2,000 containers full of fresh produce are diverted away from Port of Cork each year as it is not legislated to provide necessary agricultural checks through a Border Control Post (BCP). This inefficient practice results in an astounding 146,000 extra food miles per month as containers are re-routed to other European ports like Southampton or Antwerp, only to return to Ireland for the required checks in Dublin. The consequences are severe – over €5 million in additional transport costs, increased environmental pollution, and significant disruptions to supply chains. This illogical situation negatively impacts both the economy and the environment, highlighting the urgent need for a more streamlined and sustainable solution.

 

A BCP is a designated entry point to the EU market through which consignments of food, food contact materials, animals, feed and plants that are subject to increased import controls must enter the EU. Checks (controls) are carried out on food entering the EU market to ensure they meet the same requirements as foods from EU Member States.

 

Over 166,000 tonnes of unnecessary pollutant carbon emissions would be avoided if a permanent-fixed Border Control Post for agricultural checks was constructed at the Port of Cork in Ringaskiddy.

 

The lack of a Cork BCP also has negative impacts on the consumer with higher purchasing prices for goods on supermarket shelves. With extra transport costs of up to €4,000 per container leading to a price hike.

 

To support these food businesses and mitigate against the negative impact on the environment and on consumers, many importers believe the construction of a permanent fixed Border Control Post at the Port of Cork in Ringaskiddy is the ultimate solution. However, in the short-term, food businesses and the Port of Cork are calling for derogations/ exemptions whereby cargo can travel via the road network from Cork to Dublin for necessary checks.

 

Easyfresh Ireland is a logistics solutions company that specialise in temperature controlled cargo and offer door-to-door logistics services across the world.

 

Gavin Sherwin, General Manager with Easyfresh Ireland, who has lobbied the Department of Agriculture on the issue for many years, explained how the consumer would benefit from derogations (in the short-term) and a BCP (in the long term) would benefit Irish consumers and the economy.

“Having checks in Cork would reduce valuable time at sea, allowing the optimum freshness for products that can arrive efficiently on a direct route.

It would save importers thousands of euro at a time per container (by not having to route back from the UK or EU therefore maximising quality and shelf life thus reducing waste ) which would reflect in price reductions for the Irish consumer.

“Importers would immediately seek to re-route more of their products into Cork, from all corners globally (particularly from the Americas) further increasing availability and range of products and commodities and lowering prices for the Irish consumer.”

Increasing volume & traffic of goods via Port of Cork

“Facilitating the necessary checks or as a compromise in the meantime, allowing for a derogation whereby containers with produce could travel by road network for checks in Dublin,  would encourage major shipping carriers to consider a direct Cork Port call in the future, beyond the current weekly Maersk so-called ‘banana’ boat.”

In a welcome step towards addressing calls from businesses, the Department of Agriculture granted a temporary derogation earlier this year but unfortunately it came too late for importers to capitalise on the easement.”

 

Sherwin continued: “We had called on the Department to allow a derogation earlier this year particularly in the context of Central American melon season. It was welcome when word came through that a derogation would be accommodated but unfortunately the decision came too late to coordinate and reroute cargo. Such procurement plans are agreed months in advance. It was good to see the door open a little on this issue but we truly believe the door can swing open in terms of a commonsense approach on this issue.”

 

Conor Mowlds, Chief Commercial Officer with Port of Cork Company said:

“In the short term, derogations from a sustainability perspective would significantly reduce unnecessary international distance travelled, time and Co2 emissions. It would also reduce costs and enable increased options for food importers to Ireland. Derogations and in the long-term a Border Inspection Post in Port of Cork would be a win:win situation for all – the environment, consumers, customers and the local and national economy.”

 

Deputy David Stanton (FG) raised the matter of a Border Inspection Post as a Topical Issue in the Dail recently where he called for efforts to mitigate the situation to “go beyond consideration”.

 

“A temporary derogation would offer the Port of Cok increased flexibility that would encourage importers to use Cork. Therefore the goods would land in Cork, be transported to Dublin in the interim and be inspected there,” he stated.

“It is good for business, the country and the consumer. It is good for emissions and pollution. It saves time and ensures that the product that is perishable lands in a timely fashion”