UK PM Johnson warns EU over post-Brexit Northern Ireland trade

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walks outside Downing Street in London, Britain, February 9, 2022. REUTERS/Tom Nicholson

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson repeated a warning to the European Union on Wednesday, saying London would take action to suspend post-Brexit customs checks on some goods moving to Northern Ireland if the bloc did not show "common sense".

"We must fix it (the problems with the so-called Northern Ireland protocol) and with goodwill and common sense I believe we can fix it," he told parliament.

"But if our friends don't show the requisite common sense then of course we will trigger Article 16," he said, referring to a clause in the Brexit deal which allows either side to decide to stop implementing parts of the protocol governing trade with Northern Ireland if there are substantial practical problems or trade diversion.

(Reporting by William James, writing by Elizabeth Piper, Editing by Kylie MacLellan)