US gets involved in UK-Northern Ireland trade row after Brexit | Business News

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The United States has postponed raising tariffs on UK steel and aluminum products amid concerns about the government’s approach to a dispute with the European Union over post-Brexit trade rules affecting Northern Ireland.

The move was met with a defiant response from Whitehall with its spokesperson saying it would not “affect the UK’s approach” to talks with Brussels over changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol – designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland.

The UK has threatened to release Article 16 – emergency brakes that allow the UK or the EU to seek to suspend parts of the Brexit agreement that introduced some controls on the movement of goods into Northern Ireland from mainland Britain – if it leads to persistent trade difficulties.

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6:49 “Dangerous consequences” for the NI . protocol

Talks between the European Union and Brexit Minister Lord Frost are still ongoing, but European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic expressed frustration this week at the lack of a compromise in the UK.

News of the US intervention came last night when the Financial Times received a tip-off from a US Department of Commerce official indicating that talks with the UK on easing tariffs on metals could not go ahead.

Sanctions on the European Union were imposed by the administration of former President Donald Trump in 2018 and were withdrawn by President Biden in October.

Tariffs of 25% and 10% on steel and aluminum imports remain in place for Britain due to its exit from the European Union.

The newspaper said that the official referred to US concerns about British threats to activate Article 16, especially from the US Congress.

Photo: Brexit Secretary Lord Frost leads the UK’s protocol negotiations with the EU

In September, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned that there could be no post-Brexit trade deal with Washington if the Northern Ireland peace deal was destroyed.

A spokesperson for the Department of International Trade confirmed the US position by responding: “We see no connection to this particular issue and the Northern Ireland Protocol and will in no way affect the UK’s approach.

“This is because major changes to the protocol are needed in order to protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and Northern Ireland’s place in the UK’s internal market.”

The government indicated that it was continuing discussions with US officials about tariffs.

Shadow International Trade Secretary Nick Thomas Symonds said: “It has been more than a month since the US agreed to lift punitive tariffs on exports of steel and aluminum from the EU, but it has left the same tariffs in place for the UK.

Whatever the explanation for this difference in treatment, it is not acceptable to continue, and the government must resolve this situation.

“The UK’s steel and aluminum industries should not be a pawn in anyone’s political games, when there are jobs and businesses at stake in communities across our country.”

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