DUBLIN: Ireland backed a British call on Wednesday for an extension of grace periods for checks on goods going between Britain and Northern Ireland, before EU-UK talks about the province, where post-Brexit trade issues and port control are causing tension.
As part of its Brexit agreement last year, Britain agreed to checks on some goods moving between British-ruled Northern Ireland and other parts of the United Kingdom.
That let the land border between Northern Ireland and the rest of Ireland remain open with no checks. But the authorities in Northern Ireland complain that it has led to difficulty bringing in goods from other parts of the United Kingdom.
According to a report by the BBC, Britain is asking for an extension until 2023 of a grace period on checks on trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, to soften the impact of Brexit.
“From an Irish perspective we want there to be some flexibility here if it’s possible to do that,” Irish Foreign…