CDS Has Replaced CHIEF: What UK Importers and Exporters Need to Know
The End of CHIEF
HMRC's legacy Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system has been fully decommissioned. The Customs Declaration Service (CDS) is now the sole platform for submitting import and export declarations in the United Kingdom.
This transition has significant implications for importers, exporters, freight forwarders, and customs agents operating in the UK.
What Is CDS?
The Customs Declaration Service (CDS) is HMRC's modern, cloud-based customs platform. It was designed to handle the increased volume of declarations following the UK's departure from the European Union and to provide greater functionality and data quality than CHIEF.
CDS handles:
- Import declarations
- Export declarations
- Transit declarations
- Customs special procedures
Key Differences from CHIEF
CDS uses a significantly different data model to CHIEF. The key changes include:
Commodity codes: CDS requires the full 10-digit commodity code, whereas CHIEF sometimes accepted shorter codes.
Procedure codes: CDS uses a combination of a 4-digit procedure code and up to 99 additional procedure codes, replacing CHIEF's CPC (Customs Procedure Code) system.
Declaration categories: CDS has multiple declaration categories (H1, H2, I1, etc.) depending on the customs procedure being used.
Data elements: CDS uses a data element (DE) numbering system aligned with the EU's Union Customs Code, making it more standardised but requiring adjustment for those familiar with CHIEF.
What Businesses Need to Do
If you are currently handling your own customs declarations, you must ensure:
- You are enrolled on CDS via your Government Gateway account
- Your software is CDS-compatible — CHIEF-era software will not work
- Your staff are trained on CDS data requirements and procedure codes
- You have the correct authorisations in place (e.g. duty deferment account linked to CDS)
How CDS Declarations Can Help
If the transition to CDS feels daunting, we can help. Our team is fully CDS-registered and experienced in all aspects of the platform. We handle import and export declarations daily across all commodity types and procedure codes.
Whether you need ongoing declaration support, a one-off consultation, or help getting your business CDS-ready, contact us today.