In 2021, HMRC announced after nearly 30 years, the closure of its Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system by 31st March 2023, as it was felt that the system was no longer fit for purpose.

The CHIEF closure is planned in two stages;

30th September 2022 – Import declarations to close on CHIEF

31st March 2023 – Export declarations to close on CHIEF and the National Exports System (NES)

The closure of CHIEF means that you and your business will need to be up to speed with all of the changes, any new legislation coming into play and of course using the new CDS system.

The closure will also see HMRC’s Customs Declaration Service (CDS) brought into service as the UK’s single customs platform.

It is hoped that the CDS system, already in use in Northern Ireland, will be more secure, adaptable, reliable, resilient and cost effective, plus it is fully compliant with Union Customs Code (UCC).

The governments long-term plans are that the CDS system will have the flexibility to grow in-line with their ambitious trade plans to have the world’s most efficient customs system by 2025.

Like most governmental platforms, there are strict procedures and a set up process to follow, before you can become fully operational on the CDS system.

As your compliance experts, we are committed to making the migration from CHIEF to CDS as smooth as possible for you, which is why we have compiled the following guide CHIEF to CDS Migration Guide.