Pro-EU supporters demonstrate outside the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, Britain, July 4, 2018. REUTERS/Simon Dawson
July 5, 2018
LONDON (Reuters) – Prime Minister Theresa May has set out terms of a customs plan that would allow Britain the freedom to set its own tariffs on goods coming into the country after it leaves the European Union, the BBC reported on Thursday.
Under the new “facilitated customs arrangement”, Britain would use technology to determine beforehand whether goods entering the country would ultimately end up in the UK or the EU, and therefore which tariff should be paid, the broadcaster said.
London and Brussels have yet to agree what sort of trading relationship they will have after Britain leaves the EU in March.
May, under growing pressure to heal bitter rifts within her cabinet over Britain’s future relationship with the EU, is due to meet her senior ministers on Friday.
The outcome of the meeting is seen as critical to moving Brexit negotiations forward, with EU officials complaining that talks have stalled because they do not know enough about what Britain wants from their future relationship.
It is not clear whether either ministers or the EU will support May’s customs plan, under which Britain would need to closely mirror EU regulations on goods.
Downing Street did not immediately comment.
(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by John Stonestreet)
