The Lagan Valley MLA said both small and medium-sized businesses, as well as potential investors, could benefit from the access if it was promoted more.

"While the survey was of a small proportion of local businesses, it still demonstrates clearly not enough is being done to promote Northern Ireland's unique opportunity as a location for manufacturing businesses to have friction-free access both to the UK and EU markets,” said Mr Honeyford.

“It is long past time this was positioned front and centre in the Department for the Economy's promotion of Northern Ireland as a location to do business, and indeed of the Executive Office's International Relations Strategy.

"Additionally, it reinforces that some ministers here are not pushing the UK Government sufficiently on ensuring business trading across the UK are adequately supported in doing so.

"I am aware already of businesses in my own constituency of Lagan Valley who have capitalised on the export opportunities arising from Northern Ireland's competitive advantage versus its neighbours in this regard. It is baffling the Executive Office and Department for the Economy are not promoting this opportunity more prominently to promote Northern Ireland as a gateway to trade in goods in the UK and the EU.

"While Alliance did not seek trade barriers and still firmly believes the best way to improve UK-EU relations would be the return of the whole of the UK to the European Single Market, we need to make the most of the opportunities which present themselves from the unique position in which we have landed. Even a small survey such as this one shows clearly such opportunities exist, and the relevant ministers should be doing far more to make the most of those opportunities."