Importers advised to contact HMRC over consignments not showing as released

Suffolk Coastal Port Health Authority (SCPHA) has become aware of issues experienced by some importers when changing from HMRC’s old Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) to the new Customs Declaration Service (CDS), including released consignments not showing as released. 

SCPHA recommends getting in touch with HMRC as soon as possible at https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact/customs-international-trade-and-excise-enquiries to report any issues they may be experiencing with the service.  

A spokesperson for SCPHA said:

“Importers should be notified when their consignments are released. This is unfortunately out of our control, and we therefore encourage importers to contact HMRC directly.”