In 2018, the UK HM Revenue & Customs announced the Customs Declaration Service, or CDS. This system is relevant to those importing and exporting to/from the U.K.
Do I need to submit declarations using CDS?
If you currently make manual declarations using the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system, you will need to migrate to the CDS system.
Most international carriers provide an automated, electronic data transfer that covers the requirements of CDS. If your carrier provides such a service, for example, Royal Mails Electronic PreAdvice Data service and you have setup your commodity data to download into Shiptheory, you may not need to make a manual submission. For more information on how Shiptheory works with commodity data from your channel, see our commodity data guide.
Always check with your carrier to be sure they have the data they need from you. For more information, see the UK government CDS website.
Have questions?
If you need help, please reach out to support. We are happy to help.