The move would bestow on the nation a status distinct from the rest of Britain as a World Trade Organisation member in its own right.

The plan, supported by Dublin, envisages Northern Ireland being granted a legal status separate from its current position as part of the United Kingdom so that European regulations and the EU customs union could continue to apply. Diplomatic sources have confirmed that the EU is studying the examples of Hong Kong and Macau, both part of China but also individual members of the WTO and operating different customs and trade regimes.

Full article on The Times (subscription required)