Irish hauliers have threatened to take retaliatory action against imports from Britain if Welsh farmers stage further port protests over the EU beef export ban.
Condemning yesterday's blockade of Fishguard by 150 farmers, Mr John Guilfoyle, president of the Irish Road Haulage Association, said: "We are not going to tolerate this any more. There comes a time when you have to meet fire with fire."
A total of 21 lorries, including nine refrigerated food lorries, were trapped in the 16-hour blockade, which was aimed at the EU summit in Cardiff. It began shortly before the arrival of the midnight ferry on Sunday when tractors, horseboxes and four-wheel-drive vehicles blocked the main road leading to the Irish ferry terminal.
Many of the farmers had travelled from Cardiff after taking part in an 8,000-strong demonstration there against the beef ban.
Police officers finally negotiated an end to the protest yesterday afternoon and escorted the lorries through the blockade and for 10 miles beyond the port.
Mr Guilfoyle said they were "sick and tired" of getting caught up in the protests. "To date, we have held back on blocking British imports to Ireland. But we are not going to sit idly by in future.".
He said hauliers were working to extremely tight margins and had suffered extreme financial loss from the demonstrations. "All we are seeking is free access to European markets as guaranteed under the Treaty of Rome."
The Irish Embassy in London relayed a message to the British government of Ireland's "serious concern" at the latest disruption.
The British Prime Minister said he was "totally sympathetic" to the farmers' plight over falling incomes but warned there had to be a limit on financial support to an industry which had already received £2 billion.
