10


Issue 2 2018 - FBJ


///IRELAND Business booms in Belfast, despite the politics


Much as people in the industry would probably like to, it is impossible to take politics completely out of ports. And the ports of Ireland are facing a completely unprecedented set of circumstances. With barely a year before


the UK is due to exit the EU, we are still little closer to knowing what the implications will be. “We can discuss the ‘what ifs’ endlessly, but ultimately it all depends on what is ultimately decided over Brexit,” says Michael Robinson, who took over from Joe O’Neill as commercial director at Belfast Harbour in January 2018. (The latter is now chief executive of the port, having taken over from Roy Adair.) Whether the UK performs


a ‘hard’ or a ‘soft’ Brexit, the possible need for a customs border at ports such as Belfast is a question that has yet to be answered by the Government. One


might have thought


that with its entire ro ro traffic directed towards Great Britain – there are regular services to Cairnryan, Heysham and Liverpool – Belfast’s ferry business would not be directly affected by Brexit. “At the moment, a lorry going from Birmingham to Belfast has no more controls on it than one going from Birmingham to Leeds,” Robinson explains. However, one possible


scenario would be to have the EU border in the Irish Sea, which would impose customs clearance on the trade for the first time, although everyone involved in Northern Ireland shipping hopes this will never happen. Containers arriving from


He added: “Having seen a


record year in shipments of wind farm components in 2017, we also anticipate activity will reduce with


the completion


of currently planned offshore wind farms and expected delays before new schemes are approved. “The good news is that


third countries like China in Belfast already need customs clearance (assuming that has not already been done at an intermediate transhipment point like Rotterdam or Antwerp) and there is already a system in place for that, so this trade would not be affected to the same extent. But Belfast’s


for almost 100% UK-


orientated ro ro trade, it would have an impact. Like many UK ports, Belfast


does not have a vast amount of land available with which to create parking areas for trucks caught up in customs queues. “We are relatively space- constrained; however we are confident that will be able to respond to the requirements.” Robinson says. The


fact that Stormont


has not been sitting means that some major investment decisions such as roads have not been taken. Specifically, the York Street interchange that would speed the motorway journey between the port and the south, is still on the back burner. Frustratingly, the money is


there and ready to be spent; it just needs the politicians to give the green light. That said, on the other side


of the North Channel at Loch Ryan in Scotland the dualling of the A77 and the A75 would be hugely significant for the future growth of the freight volumes on the Stena Loch Ryan route. All


the foregoing aside,


Belfast Harbour itself had a good year in 2017, Robinson continues, with a record tonnage figure. Trade increased to a record 23.7m tonnes, up by 600,000 tonnes or 3% on the previous year, the port said in an announcement on 19 February. The port said that the


increase came despite the low level of growth in the local economy, significant and strategic investments by the port and its customers having had a positive impact, as was the relative weakness in sterling on exports. Chairman, David Dobbin,


said that while Belfast had seen record levels of overall trade the picture for individual trade categories is somewhat mixed. There was growth in ferry activity, container traffic, agrifood, steel and aggregates, but also ongoing declines in power station coal and liquid fuel as the local natural gas network is extended.


has just ordered four new ro- pax vessels, two of which have been earmarked for its Belfast- Birkenhead route from late 2019. The Pound, weakened by


Brexit uncertainty, has been a driver for Northern Irish exports, particularly food and agri goods. Northern Ireland


New load laws welcome but should go further, says FTAI


The Freight Transport Association of Ireland (FTAI) has welcomed the new regulations on maximum weight for non- articulated trucks signed into law on 1 February but warned that they do not provide guidance for vehicles registered before this date. FTAI general manager


Aidan Flynn said that while it was encouraging that the


government has recognised the importance of enshrining safe operating practices into law and it would it easier for the authorities to clamp down on unscrupulous operators, the association believes this new ruling should apply to all similarly sized vehicles. With no regulation of the size


of loads that could be carried by this specification of vehicle


up to now, FTA Ireland has been concerned that the lack of control leſt operators free to load five axle rigid trucks to unsafe limits. • The FTAI Transport Manager


Conference 2018 will be held at the Johnstown House Hotel and Spa on 28 March offering insights, expert advice and guidance from speakers on topics


including recruitment, compliance and


Brexit. The event will open with key


addresses on apprenticeships and future skills needs from Apprenticeships Ireland.


Other


speakers, including the head of Brexit for Customs and Revenue, will focus on a wide range of topics affecting the industry. Tickets are now on sale - to


book, call 01844 7516 or online at www.ſtai.ie/events


Robinson points out, these inputs for Northern Ireland’s farmers will ultimately be translated into increased exports of finished agri goods. Preparations are meanwhile


in hand for the arrival of Stena’s new ro pax ship. There will be a new two-tier ramps at Victoria Terminal 2, along with other


we anticipated these trends and have invested more than £250m in the last 10 years in infrastructure and facilities to support the growth sectors and future-proof the business. We are also in the process of making significant investments in ferry and container handling facilities, new cranes


and materials


handlers, and in new logistics and storage facilities.” Ro ro activity was strong, and main operator Stena Line


has some big players in the food sector such as Moy Park. Belfast has also profited from the boom in Irish milk powder exports to China, which move in


containers on deep-sea


vessels via hub ports. (It’s said that half of China’s babies are raised on Irish milk, and with the Chinese government’s relaxation of the one child per family policy, not to mention the general westernisation of the Chinese diet, there is no end in sight to that particular boom.) After a few static years,


there has also been a modest growth in container traffic, particularly in exports, helped by the weakening of Sterling after the EU Referendum vote. Bulk business, particularly


imported grain and animal feed, has also gone up. As


improvements to the terminal layout. The new vessels, with their 3,500 lane metres (lm) are a step up from the existing ships’ 1,800-1,900lm but the main roads in the port will be able to cope says Robinson as they have already been widened under a previous scheme. The Heysham and Loch Ryan services have also been doing well, helped partly by a revival in passenger business, he adds. Belfast is about to make a


major investment in upgrading its container handling capability with new ship- to-shore cranes and rubber- tyred gantries (RTGs) which will boost total capacity from around 140,000 boxes a year currently to about 190,000 boxes over the next five years. The new equipment will also allow broader-beamed ships to be handled which will help future-proof operations against any increase in ship size. Belfast has also been busy


with offshore windfarm work lately. Ørsted (formerly DONG Energy) is in the process of


completing the Walney


extension which will create the largest windfarm in the world, and the Crown Estate has just started consultations on a future round of offshore licences. There will likely be a gap


in offshore wind activity in Belfast for several years by the time consents are obtained and construction gets underway, but the quay space will not go to waste – the port is confident that it can be filled with more cruise calls, of which Belfast anticipates handling more than 110 in 2018.


AEO for U-Freight’s Irish agent


U-Freight Group’s Irish agent EFL International Distribution has gained full Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status, following audits by Irish Customs. EFL International Distribution


expects to have fewer physical and documentary examinations of cargo, priority use of non- intrusive inspection techniques when examination is required and priority processing by


Customs whenever security is heightened.


EFL managing director, Chris Radley, said: “The accreditation covers full customs simplification – security and safety. The AEO scheme will provide EFL with a quality mark, which will demonstrate that our internal controls, staff training, and procedures are effective and compliant.”


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