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1. What’s different this time?
After three unsuccessful attempts in 2019, the UK has left the EU at 11pm on Friday 31 January.
2. What difference will this make?
For the rest of this year, nothing that anyone in farming, business or consumers will notice because the UK has entered a transition phase for the remainder of this year, during which they will negotiate a future relationship with the EU.
3. What then - will it be business as usual?
We won’t know exactly until the negotiation is over. What we do know is that after the UK leaves the transition arrangement, we rewind 28 years when goods coming from Britain to Ireland will be subject to checks at the point of entry - ie the ports and airports.
4. Surely this will cause serious delays?
The level of delays will be determined by the level of inspections which will reflect the type of agreement reached between the UK and EU. The closer the agreement and relationship, the less checks. But there will be some checks and likely some delays, although Dublin Port has spent €30m to prepare for this.
5. What about things coming from or going to the North?
The withdrawal agreement for the UK leaving the EU specified that no checks would be required at the Irish border and that Northern Ireland would continue as if it was a member of the EU and trade could continue back and forward as before Brexit.
6. Will Britain be able to send stuff through the North avoiding checks at Irish ports?
No, the deal is that EU checks will take place at Northern Irish ports for product coming in from Britain. That means no further checks are needed.
7. Will it be the same for Irish exports to Britain?
That will be up to the UK government to decide what level of checks, if any, that they want to put on produce coming in from the EU.
8. Will there definitely be some sort of deal?
There is likely to be some sort of deal, but no guarantee.
9. What if there isn’t?
Ireland and EU countries can trade with the UK under World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms. This is the way trade works at present with countries outside the EU and with which we haven’t already got a trade deal.
10. How big a problem is that?
It is more bureaucratic and involves paying tariffs, which are especially big for agricultural products.
11. How high are tariffs?
They vary. For example, the boneless beef tariff is €3.30/kg plus 12.8% of the value of the product.
12. Is this why it is such a big deal for farmers?
Yes, Ireland exports roughly 90% of its agricultural production and approximately half of all Irish agri food exports are to the UK.
13. Any chance of Brexit being stopped?
That was possible up until the actual time of departure. However, the UK could apply to rejoin the EU down the line.
14. Ireland is exporting its products all over the world, can we not do without the UK?
The UK is a net importer of argi food products. About one quarter of all food consumed in the UK is imported. We export 90% of what we produce and they are our closest and most valuable market and it is not feasible to substitute it.
15. What will the UK do for imports?
They have said they will eliminate or reduce tariffs and make the market open to all traders across the world.
16. If it is easy to get into the UK market after Brexit, is that not good for Irish farmers and exporters?
No, because it will put us (and UK farmers) in direct competition with the cheapest producing regions of the world and devalue the market for Irish and UK product
17. What can farmers do?
Nothing apart from being mindful of the uncertainty that lies ahead.
18. What about factories and exporters?
They have been developing other markets and can do more of this, but nothing can replace the UK.
19. What about Government / EU?
They have committed to supporting farmers and exporters to hold market share in the UK, but have not specified an amount of money to do so.
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