While a British government proposal to unilaterally abandon some parts of the Northern Ireland protocol is probably a negotiation tactic, it will make talks with the European Union tougher and eventually could spark a trade war. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told Parliament on May 17 that London would soon unveil a bill that would unilaterally change the implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol. Part of the EU-U.K. Brexit agreement , the protocol establishes customs controls at the Irish Sea. According to Truss, the bill would create a "green lane" with no customs controls for British products destined to Northern Ireland and a "red lane" with full customs controls for British products for export to the Republic of Ireland or the broader EU single market. Truss said the British government would announce more details of the proposals in the coming days.