AQW 3572/22-27

Mr Jim Allister KC
Traditional Unionist Voice
North Antrim

Tabled Date: 26/09/2022
Answered On Date: 03/10/2022
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister for the Economy why goods being imported to Northern Ireland from China and other countries are being charged a higher third country duty tariff than goods imported from those countries to GB.

Answer:

Under the current terms of the Protocol, traders importing goods which originate from countries outside of both the European Union (EU) and United Kingdom (UK) to Northern Ireland (NI) are required to pay either the EU or UK duty.

Traders will be unable to pay the UK duty, and therefore subject to the EU duty, where the trader is unable to verify that the goods are ‘not at risk’ of onward movement to the EU. The EU duty will also automatically apply where it is higher than the applicable UK duty and the difference is equal to or greater than 3 percentage points, or if the goods are subject to any EU trade remedies.

Where NI businesses are subject to a higher EU imposed duty, these businesses may be placed at a disadvantage in comparison to competitors in GB. I have raised this with the UK Government as it is precisely this sort of problem that has highlighted issues with the operation of the Protocol in respect of a functioning UK internal market.