Exploring supply chain arrangements of Northern Ireland businesses trading with Great Britain
Qualitative research exploring supply chains and trade routes used by Northern Ireland-based businesses trading goods with Great Britain.
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The UK left the EU on on 31 January 2020 and entered into a transition period which lasted until 31 December 2020. The Northern Ireland Protocol took effect from 1 January 2021 and created special provisions for moving goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
The research aimed to explore the supply chain arrangements of micro, small and mid-sized businesses based in Northern Ireland who traded goods with Great Britain. It aimed to understand:
- the differing levels of complexity of supply chains
- how important the market in Great Britain was within those supply chain arrangements
- how well businesses understood what the impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol would be at the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020
- whether businesses had taken, or planned to take, any action to prepare for its implementation
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) commissioned Ipsos (formerly Ipsos MORI) to explore these research questions. A total of 40 telephone interviews were conducted with businesses based in Northern Ireland who were trading goods with Great Britain, between 13 August and 28 September 2020.