UK suggests customs plan for 'frictionless' EU exit

The paper, part of a series of documents to be released ahead of renewed Brexit negotiations, claims "there are two broad approaches the U.K. could adopt" - streamlining current arrangements or establishing a new customs partnership.

The U.K. is expected to leave the EU in 2019 as a result of a 2016 referendum which began the process of ending the country's 44-year membership of the bloc.

"A highly streamlined customs arrangement," is one option the British government seems more eager to propose to EU negotiators.

London, in this choice, is aiming to "continue some of the existing arrangements between the U.K. and the EU".

Leaving as few additional requirements on EU trade as possible and implementing technology-based solutions form part of the proposals to deliver "as frictionless a customs border as possible".

However, the U.K. government said a new deal would be "unprecedented as an approach and could be challenging to implement".

The paper said London would "look to explore the principles of this with business and the EU".

"A new customs partnership with the EU," forms the second option, which would "involve the U.K. mirroring the EU's requirements for imports from the rest of the world where their final destination is the EU".

The U.K. said pursuing either of these options would depend on negotiations with the EU as the two models provided different approaches.