Britain considering extending EU tariffs to improve Brexit back-stop option: source

FILE PHOTO: Union Flags and European Union flags fly near the Elizabeth Tower, housing the Big Ben bell in Parliament Square in central London, Britain September 9, 2017. REUTERS/Tolga Akmen/File Photo

Thomson Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is considering applying the EU's external tariffs for a time-limited period beyond December 2020 as part of a back-stop arrangement in case of a delay in the implementation of any Brexit deal, a source familiar with the discussions said.

The source said on condition of anonymity that the British government was trying to find a way to make the back-stop arrangement with the European Union more acceptable, rather than seeking an extension of the transition period.

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, editing by William James)

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