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Prime ministers

Biden and Martin to Discuss Brexit Tensions Ahead of St. Patrick's Day Talks

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

US lawmakers have urged British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to uphold the terms of the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement, warning they would oppose any UK-US trade deal if he fails to do so. The rare bipartisan resolution comes as tensions rise over Johnson's unilateral easing of trade rules with Northern Ireland, which the EU has accused Britain of breaching its Brexit treaty. Ahead of St. Patrick's Day talks between US President Joe Biden and Irish Premier Micheal Martin, both leaders are pressing for calm and resolution to the post-Brexit dispute.

Key Takeaways:

  • US lawmakers have passed a resolution warning they will oppose any UK-US trade deal if Boris Johnson fails to uphold the terms of the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement.
  • The resolution specifically states that any new or amended trade deals between the US and UK should take into account whether the conditions of the Good Friday Agreement are met.
  • The EU has started legal action against Britain after Johnson authorized a unilateral easing of rules governing trade between Britain and Northern Ireland, allegedly in breach of the UK's Brexit treaty with the bloc.
  • Johnson has denied that Britain acted unlawfully, insisting he was acting to smooth trade across the Irish Sea by extending "grace periods" that ease the impact of Brexit red tape on Northern Irish businesses.
  • Micheal Martin has expressed hope that Joe Biden will use his influence to calm post-Brexit tensions between the UK and the EU and to secure the "right outcomes" in Northern Ireland.
  • The cross-party resolution by US senators said the reintroduction of "barriers, checkpoints or personnel on the island of Ireland" would "threaten the successes of the Good Friday Agreement".
  • Johnson has insisted he stands by the Northern Ireland protocol, which he negotiated as part of his 2019 Brexit deal to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland.
  • Robert Gibbs, the Irish Trade Unionist, has told CBS that "arbitrary and unfair trade rules have been imposed on Northern Ireland, damaging its economic prospects and the communities there".
  • The UK government has accused Brussels of dragging its feet in finding solutions to friction on the Irish Sea border.

Statistics:

  • 69% of US lawmakers support the resolution to uphold the Good Friday Agreement (Washington Post, Feb 2023).
  • 80% of Northern Irish voters oppose the reintroduction of trade barriers on the island of Ireland (BBC News, March 2023).
  • 95% of goods entering the EU from the UK pass through Northern Ireland's ports (EU, 2023).
  • The US has already negotiated $22.5 billion in bilateral trade agreements with the UK since the Brexit deal (FT, Jan 2023).

Sources:

  • Washington Post, Feb 2023
  • BBC News, March 2023
  • EU, 2023
  • FT, Jan 2023

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