Logistics services in Ireland.

Ireland logistics overview: modes, trade and gateways

Logistics services in Ireland use sea, air, rail and road connections to move freight in and out of the country. Containerized cargo flows through about 21 ports, with key locations including Dublin, Cork, Cobh and Foynes, and maximum cargo pier depths up to about 23 meters at Foynes.

Air freight moves via 6 airports with scheduled service, including Dublin, Cork, Shannon, Ireland West Knock and Donegal. Rail freight operates on about 1,688 km of track and handled about 70 million tonne-km in 2021, often linking ports such as Dublin, Cork and Cobh to inland destinations, with road haulage used for final delivery and cross-border traffic with the UK over a land border of about 499 km.

Freight forwarders in Ireland work in a market with about 1.2 million TEU handled in 2024 and a Logistics Performance Index score of 3.6 in 2022, above the world median of 2.7. When selecting a provider, shippers should look for experience routing through Dublin, Cork, Cobh and Foynes, and using main trade lanes to partners such as the USA, Germany, the UK, Belgium, China and France.

LPI customs performance at 3.4 is above the world median of 2.6, but infrastructure and international shipments scores of 3.5 and 3.6 mean forwarders with strong port and intermodal coordination are useful. Freight forwarders in Ireland that work regularly with EU and OECD rules, the Revenue Commissioners and shipping lines with local offices such as HMM, MSC, X-Press Feeders, ANL, APL, CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk and ONE can help manage schedules and routing options.

FCL and LCL shipping from and to Ireland moves mainly through seaports at Dublin, Cork, Foynes and Cobh, with Rosslare also handling cargo. Ireland handled about 1.2 million TEU in 2024 and ranks 64th of 168 countries for container traffic. The liner shipping connectivity index was 12.44 in 2021, ranking 87th of 169 worldwide. Major shipping lines with offices here include HMM, MSC, X-Press Feeders, ANL, APL, CMA CGM, COSCO, Evergreen, Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk and ONE, mainly in Dublin and Cork.

Foynes is the largest port, with cargo pier depth around 23.2 m and no rail link. Cork and Dublin are medium-sized ports with cargo pier depth around 11 m and rail connections, while Cobh and Rosslare are shallower with depths between 7.2 m and 7.9 m. With 21 ports in total and 8 oil terminals, Ireland has a mixed maritime profile suitable for varied FCL and LCL shipping from and to Ireland.

Air freight in Ireland uses a network of 6 airports with scheduled service, including Dublin Airport, Cork International Airport, Shannon Airport, Ireland West Airport Knock and Donegal Airport. Total air cargo reached about 430 million tonne-km in 2023, ranking 42nd of 184 worldwide and 15th of 49 in Europe and Central Asia.

High-value and time-sensitive exports such as vaccines, packaged medicine, hormones, nitrogen compounds and integrated circuits are well suited to air freight on routes to major partners like the USA, Germany, the UK, Belgium and China. Similar patterns apply to imports of aircraft, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and electronics, where faster transit can justify higher air freight costs.

Rail and road freight in Ireland relies on about 1,688 km of railway, with rail freight volumes around 70 million tonne-km in 2021. Ports such as Dublin, Cork and Cobh have rail connections, supporting inland moves of containers and bulk cargo, while Foynes and Rosslare operate without rail links.

The country shares a land border of about 499 km with the UK, which supports cross-border road freight alongside port traffic. Road haulage connects seaports and airports such as Dublin, Cork and Shannon with inland shippers and consignees, complementing relatively modest rail freight volumes.

Customs clearance in Ireland is handled by the Revenue Commissioners, which has been a member of the World Customs Organization since 1952. The country participates in the World Trade Organization and regional blocs such as the EU and OECD, applying an average tariff of about 1 percent in 2022.

On the Logistics Performance Index, customs scored 3.4 in 2022 compared with a world median of 2.6, while overall logistics performance was 3.6. Reported lead times were about 2 days for both imports and exports in 2016. For a smooth process, shippers should prepare a commercial invoice, packing list and transport document aligned with EU customs practices and Ireland’s main trade flows with partners like the USA, the UK, Germany, France, Belgium and China.