Get ready for UK export rule changes

On 30 November 2023, export declarations are switching from the UK’s legacy CHIEF system to its new customs declaration service (CDS).

The same switch took place last October for imports, creating challenges according to CNS which is advising traders to test the new rules on its specially designed system

“There are some issues like outages on the system that are impossible to prepare for, but there are a lot of issues traders are now aware of and various learnings from last year, which mean there are known steps that can and should be taken,” said Matthew Bradley, managing director at CNS.

“Last year showed us that organisations that trained their staff and prepared through test environments before the deadline were far less impacted by the change in system.

“We would urge any traders dealing with export declarations to do their homework and be as prepared as they possibly can be,” he added.

CNS’s cloud-based Customs Declarations Management System (CDMS) streamlines the process of filing CDS-compliant export declarations. The purpose-built system helps expedite data input, guiding users directly to the HMRC website to identify what data needs to be provided.

CNS says the system has been extensively tested since early 2022 and can be integrated into existing systems via an API.

“The feedback from customers is that our CDMS solution made their life a lot easier last October and they believe that we ultimately saved them time and money,” said Bradley.

“The reassurance of knowing you are as prepared as you can be may put end customers at ease and may even help you sleep better at night – which is something we think is pretty important in our extremely stressful industry,” he concluded.