The Financial Times reported that US has delayed a deal to remove tariffs on UK steel and aluminium because of concerns that Britain will invoke Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol. US is concerned at UK threats to trigger Article 16, a safeguard clause in the post Brexit Northern Ireland protocol that overrides part of the UK’s exit with the EU and would suspend checks on goods travelling to Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK and officials in Washington had informed their UK counterparts of the reason for the delay in removing the tariffs. Meanwhile, the US has kept in place tariffs on steel and aluminum first imposed during the Donald Trump administration.However, UK’s Trade Minister Ms Penny Mordaunt told the Commons that American tariffs on British steel are not linked to the renegotiation of the Northern Ireland Protocol and the link was a false narrative. She said “These are two entirely separate issues. UK’s Secretary of State Ms Anne-Marie Trevelyan will be discussing the issue of steel and other matters next week with her opposite numbers in the United States. But we don’t do ourselves any favours if we perpetuate these false narratives.”Under the Brexit Northern Ireland protocol, Northern Ireland effectively remains in the EU's single market for goods. This helps to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland but increases checks and barriers to trade on goods crossing the Irish Sea from Britain into the North. The UK or the EU can invoke Article 16 if they believe the arrangement has caused serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties or the diversion of trade.
The Financial Times reported that US has delayed a deal to remove tariffs on UK steel and aluminium because of concerns that Britain will invoke Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol. US is concerned at UK threats to trigger Article 16, a safeguard clause in the post Brexit Northern Ireland protocol that overrides part of the UK’s exit with the EU and would suspend checks on goods travelling to Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK and officials in Washington had informed their UK counterparts of the reason for the delay in removing the tariffs. Meanwhile, the US has kept in place tariffs on steel and aluminum first imposed during the Donald Trump administration.However, UK’s Trade Minister Ms Penny Mordaunt told the Commons that American tariffs on British steel are not linked to the renegotiation of the Northern Ireland Protocol and the link was a false narrative. She said “These are two entirely separate issues. UK’s Secretary of State Ms Anne-Marie Trevelyan will be discussing the issue of steel and other matters next week with her opposite numbers in the United States. But we don’t do ourselves any favours if we perpetuate these false narratives.”Under the Brexit Northern Ireland protocol, Northern Ireland effectively remains in the EU's single market for goods. This helps to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland but increases checks and barriers to trade on goods crossing the Irish Sea from Britain into the North. The UK or the EU can invoke Article 16 if they believe the arrangement has caused serious economic, societal or environmental difficulties or the diversion of trade.
