Brexit: Amazon ‘to launch first Ireland fulfilment centre’ to mitigate UK border chaos

Baldonnell site would be retail giant’s first packing centre in Ireland

Amazon-branded freight and trucks are pictured at Rosslare Harbour, Ireland, on 27 January, 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)

Amazon is reportedly looking to open its first packing warehouse in Ireland, allowing it to avoid delays brought by new Brexit trade arrangements.

The retail giant wants to use a 650,000-sq-ft unit at a business park in Baldonnell, west of Dublin, according to the Bloomberg news agency.

If the deal goes ahead, customers are expected to receive Amazon purchases faster, as many items are currently dispatched from the UK.

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Gilles Fernandez, the commercial director of An Post Commerce, which delivers Amazon parcels in Ireland, hailed the move as “good news” for Irish customers.

“By avoiding the Brexit pipeline, Amazon can get their parcels to us in An Post faster for immediate delivery to the customer,” he said.

Although Amazon opened a delivery warehouse at Rathcoole in Ireland last year, the Baldonnell site would be the first in the country where products are packaged by Amazon employees.

An Amazon spokesperson told The Independent that the company would not comment on “rumour and speculation”.

Like other retailers, Amazon has been affected by post-Brexit custom rules, which came into effect from 1 January, causing trade disruption between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 

As a result of the changes, the company has already stopped selling alcohol in Northern Ireland. This move could be followed by the delisting of other products such as pet food and some over-the-counter medicines, ITV reported on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, bosses at supermarkets including Tesco and Sainsbury’s called on the government to prevent significant disruption to Northern Ireland food supplies.

They told cabinet office minister Michael Gove the "current proposals, increased bureaucracy and certification in such a short timescale, are unworkable”, and asked the government to intervene.