A NEW postal service has been launched to expedite the delivery of parcels from Ireland to Britain.
An Post has collaborated with Royal Mail to create its new UK Direct offering - which provides small and medium sized Irish businesses a shipping route which overcomes Brexit-related delivery issues.
Currently businesses across Ireland face “complexity, cost and considerable delays when shipping to Britain”, An Post claims.
“Between customs charges and the exacting compliance demands of Brexit, selling into Britain has become increasingly difficult for Irish small and medium-sized firms,” they add.
The new UK Direct option comes with advance customs payments and promises three-day deliveries with full tracking.
“This UK Direct service is a total gamechanger for us,” Fiona Fitzsimons, CEO of the Dublin-based jewellery firm Betty and Biddy, said this week.
“We get enquiries from the UK all the time but right now, trying to navigate initial customs charges and reliable delivery in the UK, never mind customer returns, is a total nightmare.”
She added: “An Post currently handles our national parcels and this new UK service will help take our business to the next level, something we’ve been working towards for a long time.”
Kara Owen, the British Ambassador to Ireland, said she is “delighted” to see the new service come into operation.
“Businesses on both sides of the Irish Sea want simple, dependable ways to reach their customers, and UK Direct delivers exactly that,” she said.
“What matters most is giving firms the confidence to trade and grow - and that comes from practical, workable solutions like this.”
She added: “By making everyday commerce easier, we are strengthening our €2bn a week trading relationship, the economic ties that sustain the UK–Ireland relationship and support to communities and customers across both our countries.”
An Post CEO David McRedmond said UK-Irish trade remains “central” to Ireland’s economy
“This new UK Direct solution reopens that market for businesses facing the challenges posed by Brexit,” he said.
“Ireland’s 400,000+ SMEs are the backbone of this economy, and in building new infrastructure for Ireland, An Post is opening doors to new trade with the UK through a full end-to-end service from one of Ireland’s most trusted companies.
“UK Direct removes barriers to trade, providing Irish SMEs with access to over 69 million new customers.
"Instead of being tied up in the complexities of customs fees or other red tape, they can focus on huge growth opportunities and ensuring a top quality retail experience for their new UK customers”, he added.
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