UK’s no-deal Brexit tariff plan ‘illegal’ under WTO rules – EU Irish Commissioner

The UK government’s no-deal Brexit tariff plan would be “illegal” under World Trade Organisation rules, the EU commissioner in charge of agriculture has said.

Phil Hogan characterised the British plan, which would see no duties levied on goods entering Northern Ireland across the border, as “a political stunt, pure and simple”.

The Independent reports “Our initial assessment is that the proposal is illegal. It is not compatible with WTO rules and it’s the start of a process where they’ll have to get approvals,” he told reporters in Dublin.

“If they want to operate on the basis of being in defiance of well-established WTO rules well then that’s their decision. But ultimately that will not succeed because they will be taken to a panel of dispute settlement.”

The commissioner, who is Ireland’s member on the EU’s executive, added: “I think the timing of it was unfortunate and it was a deliberate attempt to put Ireland more on the agenda, as if it wasn’t on the agenda already.”

Via The Independent