How to ease your journey from CHIEF to CDS
The UK’s legacy customs system, Customs Handling of Import & Export Freight (CHIEF), is being replaced by Customs Declaration Service (CDS). CDS will handle all imports and exports arriving/departing the UK by land, air, or sea. All businesses managing UK customs declarations will need to declare goods using the Customs Declaration Service.
The way to make export declarations is changing
Take advantage of our checklist, which outlines the five steps you need to follow to prepare for CDS before CHIEF is fully decommisioned.
UK Trade Tariff changes
CDS requires a more extensive data set than CHIEF. While there are consistencies between several of the essential CHIEF/CDS code lists, there are also some which differ, e.g., port codes. In addition, a number of new CDS code lists will be introduced.
One key point to note is that CDS uses a new structure for CPCs, allowing for more than one 3-digit Additional Procedure Code to be reported in Data Element 1/11. Some of the basic codes may translate across from CHIEF in the same format, e.g. 40 00 000, but others will differ.
Review the Trade Tariff Tool, which has been re-designed for use with CDS, providing access to both the UK Integrated Tariff and the Northern Ireland Tariff.
Payment processing
The way declaration payments are processed will change in CDS, and you will need to make changes to your current payment methods.
More information can be found in our blog post on CHIEF to CDS: one platform for all UK imports and exports.
Country codes
The country code ‘EU’ is no longer an option for the country of dispatch/country of origin and the proper country code will need to be used, e.g., FR for France.
UK Trade Tariff changes
CDS requires a more extensive data set than CHIEF. While there are consistencies between several of the essential CHIEF/CDS code lists, there are also some which differ, e.g., port codes. In addition, a number of new CDS code lists will be introduced.
One key point to note is that CDS uses a new structure for CPCs, allowing for more than one 3-digit Additional Procedure Code to be reported in Data Element 1/11. Some of the basic codes may translate across from CHIEF in the same format, e.g. 40 00 000, but others will differ.
Review the Trade Tariff Tool, which has been re-designed for use with CDS, providing access to both the UK Integrated Tariff and the Northern Ireland Tariff.
Payment processing
The way declaration payments are processed will change in CDS, and you will need to make changes to your current payment methods.
More information can be found in our blog post on CHIEF to CDS: one platform for all UK imports and exports.
Country codes
The country code ‘EU’ is no longer an option for the country of dispatch/country of origin and the proper country code will need to be used, e.g., FR for France.