HMRC will be closing its Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system on 31 March 2023.
From this date, all businesses will need to declare goods through the Customs Declaration Service (CDS)
The current customs declaration system for the international movement of goods is known as CHIEF (Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight.) CHIEF is almost 25 years old and can’t be easily adapted to new requirements. The government has therefore decided to replace CHIEF with the new Customs Declaration Service (CDS). This means the UK is better placed to scale custom declarations processing to handle the increases in volume that resulted from Brexit.
Companies who import or export goods outside the UK currently use CHIEF to process declarations for goods entering or leaving through ports. The system allows businesses to complete customs information electronically and calculate and pay the correct taxes and duties.
eGTA is fully CDS compliant and offers the functionality of CHIEF, but with many added features, including the ability to view previous import and export data on reports, check tariffs, apply for new authorisations and simplifications, and check duty deferment statements as well as offering a wide range of self-service tools, guides and checklists.
SGS eGTA
HMRC have now announced implementation dates for when traders must submit their import and export declarations using CDS. SGS are already live on CDS and will continue to work behind the scenes to ensure that eGTA remains fully compliant and ready for when traders wish to start with CDS or migrate from CHIEF. CHIEF will continue to run for a transitional period after CDS goes live to ensure trade continues smoothly.
