The UK government has reached agreement with the EU on major changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol. The protocol is the part of the Brexit deal which sets Northern Ireland's trade rules. It keeps Northern Ireland inside the EU's single market for goods.
That keeps the Irish land border open but means products arriving into Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK are subject to checks and controls. The new deal should reduce the frictions on Great Britain-to-Northern Ireland trade - so what are the major changes?
Green lanes and red lanes
At the heart of this deal is the concept of green lanes and red lanes. British goods which are staying in Northern Ireland will use the green lane at Northern Ireland ports, meaning they face minimal paperwork and no routine physical checks. Goods which are due to travel into Ireland will use the red lane, meaning they face customs processes and other checks at Northern Ireland ports.
To use the green lane businesses will need to register as a trusted trader under the new United Kingdom Internal Market Scheme (UKIMS).
Source: bbc.com