Executive Summary Between August and December 2025, HMRC implemented a series of updates to the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) codelists and validation rules. These changes encompass currency code realignments, significant expansion of document codes, validation rule enhancements, UN/LOCODE maintenance, special procedure code rationalization, and the introduction of new UKIMS location identifiers. The updates reflect ongoing [...]
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Introduction The EU Import Control System 2 (ICS2) represents a significant modernization of customs security processes across the European Union and the United Kingdom. At the heart of this system lies a critical requirement: accurate, specific, and meaningful descriptions of goods, parties, and addresses in customs declarations. Generic or vague terms—known as "stop words"—are systematically [...]
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Chancellor Rachel Reeves presented the UK's Autumn Budget 2025 on 26 November, setting out a fiscal plan shaped by global trade volatility, productivity challenges, and the ambition to restore economic growth through structural reform. For customs professionals, traders, and importers, the Budget delivers consequential changes: the removal of low-value import duty relief, fresh trade agreements [...]
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On 13 November 2025, HMRC launched a significant new self-service tool that gives UK importers, exporters, and their agents free access to their customs declaration data. The Get Customs Data for Import and Export Declarations service represents a major shift in how businesses can access, review, and audit their customs information—without the fees previously associated [...]
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A New Chapter in British Compliance On 21 July 2025 His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs released its Transformation Roadmap—a 50-project blueprint that spells out how the UK tax authority intends to operate by 2030. At its heart sits an “AI Playbook” that shifts HMRC from rules-based processing to data-driven prediction and real-time enforcement. For traders, [...]
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Introduction – Why HMRC’s Transformation Roadmap Matters Now On 21 July 2025 His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs published its Transformation Roadmap—a definitive blueprint for becoming a fully digital-first authority by 2030. The document is more than an IT upgrade: it lays out a structural overhaul of every interaction that businesses, intermediaries and individuals have with [...]
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Importing electronic goods into the United Kingdom requires careful planning, adherence to regulatory requirements, and proper documentation. From classifying products under the correct tariff codes to ensuring compliance with UK safety standards, each step demands meticulous attention. This guide provides an in-depth overview of these key considerations, with a focus on how the Customs Declarations [...]
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Exporting wine from the UK to the EU has become more intricate since Brexit. While the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) allows tariff-free trade for qualifying goods, wine shipments now require customs declarations, border checks, and compliance with EU import standards. Below is a concise guide to help UK exporters understand the core steps, [...]
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