Customs: Northern Ireland

(asked on 24th October 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how, and (2) which, goods and agricultural products will be treated differently (a) in, and (b) from, Northern Ireland as a result of Northern Ireland (i) remaining in the EU Single Market, and (ii) implementing EU Customs protocols, as outlined in the latest EU Withdrawal Agreement.


Answered by
Lord Callanan Portrait
Lord Callanan
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)
This question was answered on 5th November 2019

In the new Northern Ireland/Ireland Protocol, Northern Ireland will only be aligning with those EU rules on goods necessary to remove the need for regulatory checks at the land border. Goods and agricultural products entering Northern Ireland will need to be compliant with the rules of the regulatory zone. Northern Ireland will remain in the UK customs territory but will apply EU customs rules, which are well understood by businesses in Northern Ireland that already trade with the Rest of the World.

The Government has made clear commitments to ensure unfettered access for Northern Ireland businesses to the whole UK internal market. Some practical information will need to be provided electronically on movement of goods West-East, but Northern Ireland will have tariff-free access to the whole UK market.

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