'We don't want UK-EU Trade War': Micheál Martin

A trade war between the UK and the EU would be "shocking" and "unnecessary," according to Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin. He urged the UK government to "get into the tunnel and negotiate" changes to Northern Ireland's post-Brexit trade arrangements. According to the Taoiseach, Ireland, and the European Union, "We do not want a trade war" with the United Kingdom.

The government announced last week that it intends to override key parts of the Brexit deal within weeks. After the UK voted to leave the EU, Boris Johnson's government reached an agreement with the EU in 2019. If the UK unilaterally withdraws from agreed-upon elements of the deal that create barriers to goods trade between the UK and Northern Ireland, the EU has the authority to suspend parts of the entire post-Brexit trade deal.

When asked at the World Economic Forum in Davos if the EU was planning to impose tariffs on politically sensitive UK exports, Mr. Martin declined to "get into the detail of anything like that, because hopefully, that's something we never have to consider."

"For now I'm simply saying, and I've been consistently saying get down there, get into the tunnel, UK government and EU, negotiate and get the technocrats in there," he added.