This report on the Politico website (HERE) is about progress (or rather the lack of it) on the Irish border question. It appears we are pushing the so called "magical solution" where we agree to mirror the EU's customs union, collecting duties as now but paying the money over to the EU. Anyone importing goods for exclusively UK use will be able to reclaim the duty back. However, it means goods on which duty is payable being tracked from the point they arrive to their final destination and use. No system exists to allow this to be done at the moment and would take years to design and implement - even if it was possible.
Also, I don't see how these things can be tracked forever. What happens if I import something, pay the duty but then reclaim it back. Later, what is to prevent me shipping this undeclared to the EU? Or declaring it to be the same as another identical item on which duty was paid?
Presumably I would have to keep the paperwork forever?
Or in the case of intermediate goods, fitting it into to something else and shipping that complete into the EU but with a price advantage over EU suppliers? The whole idea sounds incredibly complex, costly and intrusive and I really can't see the EU accepting it or anything like it.
