The UK announced on Tuesday it will delay customs checks on goods coming from the EU until mid-2022, citing supply chain issues.

       Britain's Cabinet office said in a statement that the "revised timetable will give businesses more time to adjust to new processes".

       It now plans for full customs declarations and controls to be introduced by January 1, 2022 — three months later than the scheduled date of October 1 this year —with safety and security declarations not required until July 1, 2022. They were meant to have been phased in earlier this year under the government's original plan.

       "We want businesses to focus on their recovery from the pandemic rather than have to deal with new requirements at the border, which is why we've set out a pragmatic new timetable for introducing full border controls," Cabinet Office Minister Lord David Frost said.

       The government said that the pandemic has affected supply chains in the UK and across Europe and that its agri-food sector has been particularly hit.

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       According to Lord Frost, "the government remains on track to deliver the new systems, infrastructure and resourcing required" to carry out the controls.

       The UK's departure from the bloc's Single Market and Customs Union, which was completed on January 1, wasn't without its issues.

       Although many businesses anticipated the impact of new border rules by stocking up in advance, the extra red tape and costs hit traders hard. The volume of trade dropped sharply and some supplies became stranded.

       The delays were particularly damaging for fresh produce and led to many supermarkets in the UK sporting empty shelves.

       The problem was compounded during the pandemic — when global supply chains were disrupted by lockdowns — and by a shortage of workers in the UK prompted by the departure or of EU citizens ad COVID-induced travel disruptions.

       The Bank of England reported earlier this month that the employers' pool of candidates was dropping at "record pace" with many struggling to fill empty positions.