FTA: “Keep the Irish border open”
The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has repeated its call for an Irish border solution which protects “frictionless trading arrangements post-Brexit”.
In a statement issued today (21 May), FTA said that its Northern Ireland policy manager Seamus Leheny had met with David Davis, Greg Clark and Karen Bradley (respectively Secretary of State for Brexit, Business and Northern Ireland) at Stormont over the weekend, where he stressed that the association’s members “need trade to continue to flow freely across the border, without delays”.
“Logistics operators are clear that the Irish border must remain frictionless after Brexit, to ensure that trading relationships are protected and business can continue to flourish,” said Leheny. “This weekend’s meeting gave us the chance to share the concerns of the freight and logistics sector with ministers, who were open to possible solutions which would protect the integrity of Ireland’s businesses, as well as its borders.”
Leheny added: “The conversations we had this weekend were a welcome opportunity to raise the concerns of the logistics industry directly with those at the negotiating table in Brussels, particularly the need to avoid infrastructure at the border, and the fact that technology at the border on vehicles will not be a workable solution. Clarity over the rules of origin for goods is vital, and despite the fact that compliance for the north-south trading route will be difficult to administer, I am confident that our message – that Ireland needs to remain open for business, with no delays at its borders – will be carried into the next round of talks with the EU.”
