Checks on goods crossing Irish Sea to start from 1 January

Government confirms no delay, despite demands from businesses and farmers in Northern Ireland

Checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea into Northern Ireland will be imposed from 1 January with no delays in implementation, despite protests from local businesses and farming leaders, the government has confirmed.

Local businesses implored EU leaders last month to delay the new trading arrangements, saying they were being given weeks to prepare for a new system that would normally take up to 18 months.