EU Says To Put Tariffs On UK Goods If No-Deal Brexit Despite London's Plan To Cut Duties

EU Says to Put Tariffs on UK Goods If No-Deal Brexit Despite London's Plan to Cut Duties

The European Union will introduce tariffs on UK exports and imports in case of a no-deal Brexit, the chief spokesman for the European Commission said Wednesday, several hours after the UK government reportedly announced plans to cut tariffs on most of imports in a no-deal scenario

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th March, 2019) The European Union will introduce tariffs on UK exports and imports in case of a no-deal Brexit, the chief spokesman for the European Commission said Wednesday, several hours after the UK government reportedly announced plans to cut tariffs on most of imports in a no-deal scenario.

According to UK media reports, the UK government wants to lift duties off 87 percent of imports on a temporary basis in a bid to protect businesses and consumers from a sudden increase in costs.

"We take note of the United Kingdom's plans for temporary tariffs in the case of no deal. We will carefully analyze the compliance of the UK plans with [World Trade Organization] WTO law ... In the event of no deal, the Union has already made clear that it will apply its normal third-country trade regime to all trade with the United Kingdom," Margaritis Schinas told a press conference.

The UK House of Commons is set to vote on a no-deal motion later on Wednesday after rejecting, a day earlier, the withdrawal deal agreed by the UK government and the European Union.