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David Davis to ask EU for temporary customs union to ease Brexit disruption

Brexit secretary David Davis is to ask Brussels for an interim stage to allow a smooth move into a new trading system once Britain leaves the EU Picture: PA
Brexit secretary David Davis is to ask Brussels for an interim stage to allow a smooth move into a new trading system once Britain leaves the EU Picture: PA Brexit secretary David Davis is to ask Brussels for an interim stage to allow a smooth move into a new trading system once Britain leaves the EU Picture: PA

A temporary customs union could be put in place to help prevent chaos at Britain's borders after Brexit, the British government has said.

Brexit secretary David Davis will ask Brussels for an "interim" period to allow a smooth switch over to the new trading regime that will be put in place once the UK leaves.

A time-limited transition will mean businesses on both sides of the Channel only have to adapt once to rule changes, the Department for Exiting the European Union said

It comes after British chancellor Philip Hammond and international trade secretary Liam Fox said the UK would pull out of both the single market and the customs union in 2019.

Temporary arrangements could allow trade deals to be negotiated with other countries, something members of the bloc are forbidden from doing, while governments and businesses adjust to new arrangements.

Ministers have been warned about the strain ports could be put under if they face a big increase in bureaucracy for dealing with goods entering and leaving the country.

The proposals for new customs arrangements to allow the "freest and most frictionless possible" trade with the EU are being outlined in the first of a series of "future partnership papers" being released by the government.

Although negotiations on a new system are not scheduled to start for sometime, the government said setting out its aims showed the UK's "desire to ensure our exit from the EU is smooth, orderly and successful".

The British government is putting forward two options for systems that could be introduced after Brexit.

One option being put forward by Mr Davis would see the UK manage a new customs border with administration streamlined to the "fullest extent possible".

The Brexit secretary will also float plans for a customs partnership with the EU that would negate the need for a customs border between the UK and the rest of the bloc.

A position paper on the fraught issue of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic will be published tomorrow, ahead of the third round of Brexit negotiations in Brussels at the end of the month.

DExEU said the document will make clear the commitment to maintain a seamless and frictionless border with no return to the hard borders of the past.