Maintaining the status quo in trading relationships with the UK post Brexit will be a priority for Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) this year – but extending the transition period would be useful in ensuring the best deal possible, the Ibec organisation has said.
Reacting last week to the beginning of the UK’s official departure from the EU, DII said:
“DII will be working in Ireland, the UK and in Brussels to try to ensure the maintenance of the current status quo in the dairy trading relationship with our colleagues in Britain.
“To deliver this we have to work hard to deliver a comprehensive trade deal in the extremely limited time that is now there.”
Commenting on allowing for the best deal possible, DII advised:
It would be useful…that the transition period is extended to allow Irish farmers and businesses certainty at an early date.
DII noted that, while the Irish dairy sector’s trade reliance with Britain has declined over recent years, it still remains a key market for the sector with many Irish companies being key players in Britain’s dairy economy.
“While we very much welcome the signing and passing of the withdrawal agreement which ensures continuance of the all island dairy economy, much work needs to be done to ensure issues like regulatory, customs and trade barriers are kept to a minimum in what will be difficult negotiations,” the dairy industry representative group concluded.