EU plans to introduce a common charging cable for smartphones will become the "default" in both Northern Ireland and Great Britain regardless of Brexit, an SDLP MP has said.
Claire Hanna said manufacturers will likely supply the same products across the UK even if the British government does not copy plans by Brussels.
The European Union has agreed rules which mean all new smartphones sold in the bloc will be required to have a USB-C port for charging.
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Officials say that under Brexit's Northern Ireland Protocol, the new regulation would apply to Northern Ireland as the region remains tied to the EU single market for goods.
The UK government has said it is not "currently considering" copying the plans for smartphones sold in Great Britain.
A parliamentary report last December said the new requirements applying in Northern Ireland would be "potentially triggering divergence of product standards with the rest of the UK".
The new rules are set to come into effect by autumn 2024.
Ms Hanna praised the EU plans for a common charging cable as "good news for people and the planet".
The South Belfast MP said: "Not only will the plan save people money, with forecasts predicting a €250million reduction in spend on new chargers, it will also reduce the amount of charging cable thrown away each year by up to 1,000 tons, and reduce the amount of materials needing to be mined.
"The UK government may not make a similar mandatory intervention but it's likely that device producers will supply the same components to the GB market as they will to Northern Ireland and the rest of Europe in order to minimise costs.
"The net result will mean USB-C becoming the default common charger in all markets, following the general trend even with those companies that were most opposed to the move."
The plans will apply to “all small and medium-sized portable electronic devices” such as mobile phones and tablets. Laptops will also eventually have to abide by the ruling.
The move needs to be approved by the European Parliament and European Council later this year, but that is expected to be a formality now the outline proposals have been agreed.
It will have a substantial impact on Apple's iPhone, which is the only major smartphone not to already use the USB-C connection. The iPhone uses Apple's Lightning port for wired charging.
Apple has previously expressed opposition, warning that a common charging port "stifles innovation".
However, some analysts believe it could become a "non-issue" for the tech giant as it already uses USB-C on other products.
The charging port plans come amid a continuing stand-off between London and Brussels over how to reform the Protocol.
It was designed to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland but has created fresh checks on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Opposition to the deal has seen the DUP block efforts to restore power-sharing at Stormont.
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