The Port of Cork Company says it anticipates a 60% surge the volume of cars imported through the port - welcoming around 8,000 new vehicles to Cork in January.
They attribute this surge to a substantial increase in demand in the car trade market.
To handle the increased volume, the port has designated a new storage facility at Paddy’s Point in Ringaskiddy for the first time. With the existing Ringaskiddy storage facility reaching capacity, it's hoped the temporary expansion will ensure the smooth handling of shipments.
The new cars will be distributed to dealerships across the country.
It says just under 3,000 cars, predominantly Volkswagen, Audi, Cupra, Seat, and Skoda models arrived on two different vessels over the past weekend.
The Port of Cork Company signed a Memorandum of Understanding in December 2023 with NVD and EMIL to explore the development of a new multi-story car storage facility at Ringaskiddy - to accommodate future demand. This facility would store up to 6,000 cars at a time and reduce the current on-dock footprint.
Approximately 50,000 trade cars are expected to pass through the port this year, with forecasts indicating further increases as the population rises.
