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The report says that 96% of freight movements are taking place within that system – also known as the green lane – and therefore well over the 80% target set out in the Safeguarding the Union deal. The DUP leader has welcomed it as progress, saying it shows that the vast majority of goods are “not subject to EU custom duties”. Gavin Robinson also called on the government to tackle the fundamental barriers to trade within the United Kingdom – caused by the Windsor Framework. However, Jim Allister has accused the government giving a false impression that most goods flow unfettered from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. The TUV leader says the movements which the report describes as ‘internal market movements’ are “no such thing” – because no goods can travel across the Irish Sea border without fulfilling some customs procedures. Under the Windsor Framework, Northern Ireland remains effectively within the EU single market – creating a physical and regulatory trade border with Great Britain. The deal created easements, including a ‘green lane’ with simplified processes for certain businesses. That was later rebranded as the UK Internal Market System (UKIMS) under the DUP-Tory Safeguarding the Union (STU) deal. All other goods face full EU customs checks and processes at Northern Ireland’s ports, known as the red lane. The new report from the government-appointed Independent Monitoring Panel – set up under STU – looks at those goods falling within UKIMS. It was examining whether the Internal Market Guarantee – to have more than 80% of all freight movements from GB to NI take place under UKIMS – had been met. The government says the report “confirms that the Guarantee has been met overall in the first six months of 2025”. Gavin Robinson welcomed it as “confirmation that the vast majority of goods moving between GB and NI are not subject to custom duties” – but said the government “must not ignore the fact that fundamental barriers to trade remain”. ‘‘The DUP insisted on the creation of this Panel as a way of monitoring the impact of the Windsor Framework arrangements on trade within the UK internal market. “In the first half of 2025, 96% of the value of goods moving between GB and NI moved within the UK Internal Market System - and were therefore not subject to EU custom duties. Although this represents progress, the truth is that no business moving goods within our country should ever have been subjected to this threat in the first place”, the East Belfast MP said. “Only by dealing with the harm caused by the direct application of EU law in Northern Ireland can these concerns be fully and sustainably addressed. Hilary Benn cannot continue to tinker around the edges in the hope that this problem will simply go away. There must be a clear Government plan, and intent, to address the undemocratic, oppressive, and unnecessarily complex architecture of the Protocol and to fully restore Northern Ireland’s place in the United Kingdom”, the DUP leader added. Jim Allister says the report is “smoke and mirrors” – and the “dud DUP/Donaldson deal” has delivered “the intended deception”. “The Government has today broken new ground in deceit in using the Report of the Independent Monitoring Committee to imply that less that 20% of goods movements from Great Britain to Northern Ireland encounter the Irish Sea border, so they can say more than 80% of movements are UK internal market movements. “Indeed, the Secretary of State has told Parliament: ‘that over the first six month monitoring period, 96% of the value of goods moved by freight met the Guarantee.’ Note the subtle switch from examining ‘all freight movements’ to the value of goods moved. “That plainly gives the impression that most goods flow unfettered from GB to NI. Traders and consumers know the reality to be very different. “This is a complete deception arising from what amounts to a very crude strategy of playing with words. The movements they describe as ‘internal market movements’ are no such thing. "It does not matter whether goods move on the green lane or the red Lane (and they must move on one lane or the other) no goods can move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland as internal market movements because they all require, at minimum, an export number and the fulfilment of at least some customs procedures”.
