Southern UK ports losing out as hauliers opt to move freight between Ireland and the continent via new Irish Sea sailings.
Post-Brexit fallout is continuing to shape the freight trade between the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the EU, reports Afloat. A new lo-lo Dunkirk-Bristol-Liverpool route operated by Container Ships, marketed as “DUNK” has bypassed the UK’s south east ports and the traditional Dover-Calais route.
The new link was launched in January and connects northern France and north-west England via the Port of Liverpool. Merseyside is the only Irish Sea port to win Freeport designation, and the new DUNK route has allowed Containerships, part of CMA CGM, to capitalise on the new trade environment.
The new connection runs from Friday to Monday, enabling suppliers to deliver goods into the UK by the start of the working week. In addition to easing the load on supply chains, the new route provides a greener solution, helping reduce road miles and emissions from long-haul road transits.
The DUNK route will be plied by Containerships’ the 803 TEU Karin Schwepers and will complement the other routes the company now runs in the Irish Sea, including Dublin-Rotterdam, and another loop service Dublin-Cork-Rotterdam-Dunkirk.
