Proposed fees regime ‘against WTO rules’

The Irish Exporters Association has said it believes the UK’s proposed tariff regime in the event of a no-deal Brexit is against World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules. The announcement of the proposed tariffs sent shockwaves through various industry sectors, even though the UK said there would be no tariffs on goods travelling from the Republic into the North.

By contrast, damaging tariffs such as the 53% that would be levied on beef and 60% on poultry meat would apply to goods travelling across the Irish Sea. However, Simon McKeever, chief executive of the Irish Exporters Association, said on closer inspection “our sense is that under WTO rules they cannot unilaterally do this”.