U.K. Looking at Taking G-7 Trade Ministers to Northern Ireland

The U.K. has floated plans to hold a meeting of Group of Seven trade ministers in Northern Ireland in May, ruffling feathers among some European diplomats, according to a person familiar with the British plans.

The idea of taking G-7 trade talks to Northern Ireland has raised eyebrows, the official said, because the U.K. is embroiled in a dispute with the European Union over whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson will honor his commitment under the Brexit agreement to establish checks for goods moving between the province and the rest of the U.K.

While it’s not clear whether the suggested location was a deliberate provocation, the U.K. has inflamed tensions with the EU by saying it will unilaterally change rules on trade across the Irish Sea that were part of the post-Brexit accord. Britain has said it will waive customs paperwork on food entering Northern Ireland until October, ignoring the April deadline agreed with the EU. The EU has said the move would be a breach of international law and that it will take legal action.