Goods imported from Britain into Ireland have dropped by more than a fifth since Brexit, figures show.
The latest numbers from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show the value of goods imports from Britain fell by almost €3.3 billion from January to November last year.
Meanwhile, goods exported to Britain in the first 11 months of last year totalled €13.4 billion, an increase of more than 20 per cent.
Exports from Britain to Ireland in November last year also increased by more than 16 per cent compared to November 2020.
Seasonally adjusted goods trade imports increased by €340 million in Novemberhttps://t.co/ad9jE9Zxjc #CSOIreland #Ireland #Trade #IrishTrade #Exports #Imports #Businessstatistics #IrishBusiness #BusinessNews #Brexit pic.twitter.com/kwYiz01OvL
Advertisement— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) January 17, 2022
The main changes were increases in the exports of chemicals and related products and machinery and transport equipment, with a decrease in the exports of food and live animals.
Exports to Britain accounted for 11 per cent of total exports in November 2021, while imports from Britain were 16 per cent of the value of total imports..
The drop in imports comes as cross-border trade continues to rise.
Imports from the North to the Republic jumped by more than 64 per cent, while exports to the North also rose by more than 50 per cent.
The figures come amid ongoing negotiations between the EU and the UK government over the future of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Unionists argue the post-Brexit trade arrangements damage the union between the North and Britain.
Those trade arrangements have created economic barriers on the movement of goods between Britain and the North, with the aim being to avoid the creation of a hard border on the island of Ireland.
It has achieved that by effectively keeping the North within the EU’s single market for goods, an arrangement which has led to the checks on products crossing the Irish Sea from Britain.
Jarlath O’Keefe, from Grant Thornton Ireland, said: “The CSO figures for November confirmed that there has been a significant increase in cross border trade on the island of Ireland in 2021 following Brexit.
“This is due in part to businesses adjusting their supply chains to avoid the administrative burden associated with importing goods from Britain.
“Exports to Northern Ireland were €3,305 million in the period January-November 2021, an increase of €1,078 million on the same period in 2020.”
Meanwhile, the value of goods exports for the period January-November 2021 was €151.7 billion, an increase of more than one per cent compared to the previous year.
Exports of electrical machinery, appliances and parts was the main driver, while exports of organic chemicals increased by more than 16 per cent.
Exports of food and live animals also increased by more than 15 per cent, while exports of medical and pharmaceutical products decreased by €1 billion.
