Bloomberg: Brexit transition must be extended, according to UK officials

04 May 2018

The Brexit transition period will need to be extended potentially for years because any new customs regime will not be ready to come into force in time, according to senior British officials.

In what would be a politically explosive decision, the U.K. will have to stay inside the European customs union beyond the transition period’s end date of December 2020 while new border measures are developed, said two people familiar with the Brexit talks. It’s not government policy, but is being discussed by senior officials.

Conservative Party Chairman Brandon Lewis --who is also a government minister -- was asked directly on BBC Radio on Friday whether the U.K. would be staying in the customs union until 2023. He didn’t deny it, saying the Cabinet would be “making some decisions on that.” Until now, the official policy has been that the U.K. will leave the EU’s customs regime at the end of 2020. [...]

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