President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs set differentiated tariff levels for the UK and the EU that place Northern Ireland in a unique position due to the special post-Brexit rules that oblige the UK Internal Market and EU Single Market to co-exist. With the end of 90-day pause on 9 July now looming, the immediate challenge for businesses and policy makers on the island of Ireland is that Northern Ireland finds itself in a distinct position where not one,  but two potentially different tariff regimes may coincide on the island of Ireland.

As matters currently stand, there are certain instances in which a business operating in Northern Ireland would enjoy notional advantages over businesses in other parts of the UK, or in Ireland. But this is not necessarily the making good of the Windsor Framework’s hype of Northern Ireland as the world’s “most exciting economic zone”. The notional advantages would only be realised if the current arrangements become the “new normal”, which is questionable given the likely legal and political issues associated with the current trade deals.