Britain looking for long-term solutions for Northern Ireland trade, says minister

LONDON (Reuters) - The British minister for Northern Ireland said on Wednesday the country and the European Union must use an extension to grace periods designed to smooth trade with the province to improve the overall system.

Britain has unilaterally extended the grace periods to prevent the introduction of checks on food goods moving into the province.

"We've got to use these grace periods ... to get these long-term solutions," Brandon Lewis told parliament.

(Reporting by Sarah Young and Elizabeth Piper; writing by Kate Holton)