It's the end of an era. It has been confirmed that the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system, which Customs Declaration Service (CDS) replaces, will be fully closed as of March 31, 2023.

CHIEF has been the UK government’s system for customs entries for nearly 30 years.

The new CDS system will provide a more secure and stable platform that has the capacity and capability to grow in line with the government’s ambitious trade plans.

CHIEF will be closed in two phases:

• On September 30, 2022, it will no longer be usable for import declarations

• On March 31, 2023, export declarations will close on the CHIEF and the National Exports System (NES)

What this means for traders

Whether you want to complete customs declarations or just download your deferment account and postponed VAT statements from the CDS portal, you will require a Government Gateway account.

Most VAT registered traders will already have an account to file their VAT returns, so adding CDS shouldn’t be too difficult. We recommend you check with the account holder in your organisation and register as soon as possible.

CDS does not generate a C88 or E2 document as it is 100% electronic. However, traders like paper, therefore both are now combined into one document which will display the Movement Reference Number (MRN). The MRN is a customs identification number that’s created each time a declaration is submitted for importing or exporting goods. The number generated is bespoke, allowing your goods to be uniquely linked to you and as such, it forms an important part of the audit process for your declarations with HMRC.

The MRN on CDS performs the same function and is equivalent to the CHIEF entry number (which includes the Entry Processing Unit (EPU) and the CHIEF Entry Number (ENO)) and is linked to the Goods Movement Reference (GMR) in the same way.

Your GMR supplier will now need to enter the MRN on the GVMS system instead of the EPU and ENO when presented with a CDS entry. Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce can manage customs declarations for you, we have a wealth of international trade experience and technical expertise and offer a high level of compliance and assurance for our customers on whose behalf we issue certification to move goods worth half a billion pounds every year across borders.

Our ChamberCustoms is the UK’s leading broker with direct access to government authorities to problem solve and badges to clear goods through every sea, road and airport in the UK.

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