Brexit

Loyalist paramilitary organizations in Northern Ireland were on Thursday reported to have told London they are temporarily withdrawing support for the 1998 peace agreement, often called the Good Friday Agreement. The decision was taken amid concerns over the UK's Brexit deal with the European Union, Northern Irish newspaper the Belfast Telegraph reported . A letter from an umbrella body representing loyalist groups said its opposition was because of the Northern Irish Protocol — part of the Brexit divorce deal. They oppose the additional checks and paperwork for goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland — implemented to prevent the need for a hard border on the island of Ireland. What did the letter say? The communication — sent to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson — said the opposition should remain "peaceful and democratic." However, it will raise fears about the future of the loyalist ceasefire. The letter, from the Loyalist Communities Council, claimed … [Read more...] about Northern Ireland loyalists pull support for Good Friday peace deal

G erman exports to the UK plunged by almost a third in the first month under post-Brexit trading arrangements, new figures have revealed. The end of the Brexit transition period was blamed by Germany’s official statistics body for a 30pc year-on-year plunge in exports to the UK in January but economists predicted the trade slump will ease. New customs rules for exporters exacerbated a tumble in trade already triggered by the Covid crisis amid complaints of post-Brexit arrangements causing higher costs and delays for businesses. January’s drop compares to a 15.5pc fall in imports from Germany over 2020 but the latest slump in trade was still not as severe as the worst months of the first lockdown. The tumble in German imports at the start of the UK’s life outside the EU was also worsened by many businesses stockpiling in December as Brexit talks went down to the wire. “We expected very weak eurozone exports to the UK for January, in part due to teething problems at the … [Read more...] about German exports to UK fell 30pc in January

Italy and the European Commission have blocked a shipment of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine destined for Australia. The British-Swedish drug manufacturer had failed to meet its EU contract commitments so the Italian government refused its request to export 250,000 doses from its Anagni plant near Rome, according to the Reuters news agency. Italy made the request and it was signed off by the European Commission under a new export control system that came into law on 30 January. This is the first time it has been used by a member state. It is understood the doses will now be redistributed within the EU, where about 8% of the population has been vaccinated, compared with more than 30% in the UK. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world Advertisement Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Pfizer CEO: An EU vaccine ban would be lose-lose situation Australia is set to start its rollout of the Oxford … [Read more...] about COVID-19: Italy and EU block Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine shipment to Australia as shortages row escalates

The Scotch whisky industry has welcomed a deal between the UK and US governments that has seen damaging tariffs, imposed by the Trump administration in 2019, suspended for four months. The 25% tariff fell under a range of European products targeted as part of a historical row over government subsidies given to European aerospace firm Airbus and to US plane-maker Boeing. Just last month, the Scotch whisky sector said the penalty applied to single malt, in a dispute not of its making, had accounted for more than £500m of export losses . The suspension of the US tariffs, which also cover some other UK-made products including cheese, allows time for a permanent agreement to be reached following the UK's unilateral decision at the end of the Brexit transition period to lift retaliatory tariffs imposed by the EU on some US goods. A joint statement said: "The United Kingdom and the United States are undertaking a four-month tariff suspension to ease the burden on … [Read more...] about Scotch whisky industry toasts Biden as US suspends trade tariffs