Glennon Brothers joint managing director, Mike Glennon, participated in the Brexit panel discussion at the recent Hardware Association of Ireland conference in Galway.
Mike’s involvement in the panel was timely, as it followed on the heels of the publication of the Timber Industry Brexit Forum (TIBF) report ‘Brexit: Protecting growth in the Irish Timber Industry’. This report analyses potential future trade and customs scenarios and outlines recommendations for the movement of timber post Brexit that will minimise disruption to Irish industry.
The report was launched by EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Phil Hogan on Thursday, 28th April.
The Irish Timber industry is uniquely exposed to Brexit as the UK is the largest importer of wood in Europe, and is the key export market for Irish Timber.
Half of the Irish sawmills output is exported and over 95% of those exports are to the UK.
90% of panel products produced in Ireland are exported, with two thirds going to the UK. 40,000 truck deliveries of Irish timber products go to the UK per annum.
The TIBF report has drawn from best practice across the Canadian/EU and Norwegian/EU trade models in particular, and also looked closely at the US/Canada border.
Mr Glennon said:” The Timber Industry is prepared and eager to work with the Irish Government, the UK Government and the EU authorities, to ensure that plans are in place to prepare the sector for all eventualities, including the very worst ones”.
Glennon Brothers operate one of the most technologically advanced sawmills in Europe, on a 60-acre site on the outskirts of Fermoy, having acquired the plant from The Smurfit Group in 1998.
