Businesses have been given an extra year to comply with product safety marking rules that came in with Brexit.

Originally, the deadline for compliance was 1st January 2022. Firms were required to switch from Europe's CE mark to the new UK conformity assessed (UKCA) standard.

But following pressure from UK business the deadline has now been pushed back to 2023.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) which led calls for a delay has welcomed the news.

William Bain, head of trade policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "Businesses will welcome this reprieve."

The change affects CE markings on imported industrial goods, spare parts, and components. It's argued the extension will protect supply chains and ensure the availability of items such as phones and laptops.

William Bain said: "There is currently a lack of testing capacity to enable the retesting of decades worth of CE marked items for the new UKCA specification, so this measure will be hugely important in allowing time for that capacity to be built and for retesting to take place."

But he added: "Complex supply chains such as those in the automotive industry still face having to duplicate markings on certain components and incurring large costs for testing as a result. This could compromise the output of these industries, limit availability of goods for consumers and create mounting cost pressures on British businesses".

The BCC is urging the Government to work with businesses to consider the impact of completely withdrawing CE-marked goods.

Firms have been able to use the new UKCA markings since 1st January.