Letter: Why can the Windsor Framework not be re-opened for further negotiation?

The level of concern on the part of the UK car manufacturing sector regarding post-Brexit trade arrangements is becoming more apparent.

Particularly in terms of electric car manufacturers’ likely reliance on batteries imported into the UK from outside of Europe, there is a fear of falling foul of the EU’s “country of origin rules”. UK-made cars being sold into the EU would then be subject to tariffs (taxes).

It has also been revealed that the UK government is talking with the European Commission about how this situation could be resolved, notwithstanding the terms of the 2019 Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA) which outlined the ground rules relating to free trade, tariffs, quotas and country of origin rules etc.

The UK government continues to tell us the arrangements particular to Northern Ireland (now the Windsor Framework) cannot be re-opened. But at the same time, the Protocol/Windsor Framework sits under the TCA and the latter is being re-negotiated.

Dr Esmond Birnie, senior economist, Ulster University Business School