Three-month customs grace period for parcels into Northern Ireland from rest of UK

Announcement comes as large retailers pause deliveries or cancel orders over uncertainty about rules

Businesses in Great Britain sending parcels to customers in Northern Ireland will not have to complete new customs processes for three months, the government has said.

The announcement came after large retailers including the department store chain John Lewis paused deliveries to the region, while others cancelled orders, owing to uncertainty about the introduction of mandatory controls on the Irish Sea border after Brexit.