Logistics UK, the UK trade body for the logistics industry, will launch a new economic report on the sector’s contribution to Northern Ireland at its Nothing Moves Without Logistics reception at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, on Thursday 19 November, as announced by HGV Ireland. The report puts the wider transport and storage sector’s contribution to the Northern Ireland economy at an estimated £1.6 billion and sets out recommendations to support growth, competitiveness and investment.

According to the Logistics UK website, the body is headquartered in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and represents more than 18,000 members across road, rail, water and air freight.

Figures highlighted by Logistics UK show more than 6,000 logistics businesses operating across Northern Ireland and employing almost 70,000 people, about 8% of the region’s workforce. Their work supports manufacturing, retail, agriculture, construction and international trade.

The report will examine the sector’s economic importance and identify opportunities to strengthen Northern Ireland’s position as a competitive logistics and distribution hub. Its findings are expected to feed into discussions on the policies and investment needed to support the industry’s development.

The structural driver is cross-border trade. Northern Ireland hauliers face the added complexity of moving goods between Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, alongside rising operating costs, infrastructure investment needs and workforce availability.

The reception runs from 1.30pm to 3.30pm in Room 115 and will include networking, refreshments, the report launch and addresses from industry representatives. Speakers include Ben Garratt, interim director of policy and communications at Logistics UK, and Maire Claire Reid, managing director of TST Group.

TST Group is a family-owned third-party logistics company delivering transport, warehousing, customs and supply-chain solutions across the UK and Ireland, as reported by The Irish Times, which also stated that Reid chairs Logistics UK Northern Ireland.

The Nothing Moves Without Logistics campaign aims to reinforce the message that logistics underpins economic activity and everyday life, from food deliveries to supermarkets to construction materials and essential public services. By bringing the sector’s contribution to Stormont, Logistics UK hopes to strengthen engagement with policymakers and keep logistics central to future economic and infrastructure planning.

For the sector, the report gives Northern Ireland operators a data-backed case to put to decision makers on growth, competitiveness and investment.