By John Campbell BBC News NI Economics & Business Editor
- Published
A new trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK began operating at 23:00 GMT on Thursday.
The 'Irish Sea border' is a consequence of Brexit.
It means that most commercial goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain now require a customs declaration.
However, the UK government announced a three-month 'grace period' for parcels, meaning those sent by online retailers will be exempt until at least April.
It said the grace period was necessary to avoid disruption to deliveries at a time when many shops are closed due to pandemic restrictions.
Health certificates
The new arrangements also mean that many food products from GB now have to enter Northern Ireland through border control posts at NI's ports.
These products also need health certificates and there will be some physical checks.
Some of the new certification processes for food will be phased in over the next three months.
The first freight arriving in Northern Ireland under these new arrangements is expected on Friday afternoon.
Transport companies are not expecting significant volumes of freight on Friday.
There has been significant stockpiling ahead of the changes and it may take one or two weeks before freight volumes are at normal levels.
Some businesses, particularly haulage companies, are anxious about the new IT systems which are necessary for the border to function.
They have had less than two weeks to familiarise themselves with the new systems.
There will be no new processes or checks for the vast majority of goods leaving NI for GB.
The new arrangements flow from the Northern Ireland Protocol, a deal reached by the UK and EU in 2019.
Its purpose is to prevent a hard land border in Ireland.
Unionist opposition
That is achieved by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods and by having Northern Ireland apply EU customs rules at its ports.
This will allow goods to flow from NI to the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the EU as they do now, without customs checks or new paperwork.
The Protocol is opposed by Northern Ireland's unionist parties who fear it will weaken Northern Ireland's position in the UK.
The arrangement does not change Northern Ireland's constitutional position.
However, it does mean a significant new economic barrier within the UK.
The UK government has allocated more than £300m for a Trader Support Service to help businesses deal with the new customs arrangements.
The government is also covering the costs of the new certification requirements for food products.
A Movement Assistance Scheme will pay vets up to £150 to complete the Export Health Certificates which will need to accompany all live animals and products of animal origin entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
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