A compromise between the United Kingdom and the European Union to amend the controversial Northern Ireland protocol is approaching, which reduces the probability of a trade war that would negatively impact both economies, though technical and political obstacles remain. After years of negotiations, the European Union and the United Kingdom are nearing a deal to amend the Northern Ireland protocol, the part of the Brexit agreement that calls for customs controls at the Irish Sea to prevent a hard land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. On Feb. 6, an unnamed senior EU official told Irish broadcaster RTE that Brussels has agreed to remove most customs controls and phytosanitary checks for goods originating in Great Britain whose final destination is Northern Ireland, and to only apply full controls and checks for goods whose final destination is the Republic of Ireland and the broader EU single market. If...
