Written question asked by Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party) on Monday, 20 March 2023, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Monday, 3 April 2023. It was answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon (Conservative) on Monday, 3 April 2023 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Manufactured Goods: Northern Ireland

Question: To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the percentage of non Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) manufactured goods that are transported to Northern Ireland where (1) an end destination cannot be confirmed, and (2) the components are for companies in Northern Ireland for further processing.

Answer: The Windsor Framework significantly expands the range of businesses who can benefit from the Green Lane. We are increasing the threshold for processing companies - quadrupling the current £500,000 limit up to £2 million, meaning four-fifths of manufacturing and processing companies in Northern Ireland who trade with Great Britain will automatically be in scope. Even if firms are above that threshold, they will be eligible to move goods under the scheme if they are for use in the animal feed, healthcare, construction and not-for-profit sectors. This includes businesses acting as intermediaries or selling on the eventual product, which is a significant improvement to the existing arrangements. And where traders cannot determine the end destination of their goods when first moving them into Northern Ireland, we will establish a new, comprehensive tariff reimbursement scheme for those who can show the goods were ultimately not destined for the EU.

Secondary information