As of Wednesday midnight, new UK customs controls have come into effect on exports crossing the Irish Sea from the Republic to Britain.

It was the British government that flagged the move, however this was delayed several times since the nation left the European Union in 2021.

The authorities in the UK, will now demand documentation including declarations and notification of goods exported from the Republic. In addition, the new controls will involve health certificates for the exportation of live animals, meat and some other foods.

At midnight, 30th January, the controls came into immediate effect on goods shipped to Britain, which applies to anything exported from that point.

The implementation of the new customs rules, according to exporters’ predict that the controls will see further red tape and increased costs.

In response to the impact on the export industry, Simon McKeever, chief executive of the Irish Exporters’ Association (IEA), last week told The Irish Times, that the customs changes would mean extra paperwork for numerous firms coupled with a rise in costs.

He added that there were also concerns for the industry due to unforeseen problems as the new system of controls beds in.

The newspaper has more on the development.