The Government is fully committed to seeking a negotiated settlement between the EU and UK on Brexit, which will provide for continued unfettered access to the UK market, without tariffs and with minimal additional customs and administrative procedures.
However in the event that the EU and UK fail to negotiate a mutually acceptable trade agreement, both jurisdictions will have to apply the WTO ‘Most Favoured Nations’ tariff rates in relation to their imports.
In such a scenario the task of estimating tariff rates for specific products is complex, given that the tariffs for most agriculture products comprise of an ad valorem (value) and a weight charge element. The product mix and the year of application are also relevant issues in determining the final tariff rate.
The specific rates for products are set out in the WTO database for the relevant countries, available at (http://tdf.wto.org/default.aspx ).
My Department has, however, undertaken an initial limited study on the potential effect that a ‘fully tariffed’ trade between Ireland and the UK would have on certain products. The initial results show that the estimated tariff rate equivalent (in the absence of an FTA) would be over 60% for beef and over 50% for dairy.
