Export declaration and Certification of Origin changes

The current UK Certificates of Origin will be changing from 1st April and the current version could be refused at any customs point, while HMRC are prompting exporting traders to register for their new declaration service, before the current system, CHIEF, is closed.

Changes to Certificate of Origin (CoO)
The CoO declares the ‘nationality’ of the cargo, and also serves as a declaration by the exporter that the goods it lists are wholly obtained, produced, manufactured or processed in a particular country.

The British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) is the authorising body in the UK for Certificates of Origin and has decided that plain paper United Kingdom Certificates of Origin will be issued from the 1st April 2023, to put it in step with the Government, who have committed to achieve a paperless border by 2025.

From 1st April 2023, any pre-printed COO’s which have the old ICC logo on will be obsolete and if used could be refused at any customs point as an invalid document.

The ICC will be providing a directive confirming both the deadline and the instructions regarding refusal of old COO’s as of the cut-off date 1st April, which we will publish once we have confirmation of the process.

The Noatum Logistics’ Customs Brokerage team ensure that you always have the correct customs documentation in place – including the Certificate of Origin – and can help you deal with the application and certifications, because mistakes may mean penalties and delays.

Customs Declaration Service (CDS)
All export declarations currently made through CHIEF, must be made through the new Customs Declaration Service (CDS) by 30th November 2023 and HMRC will be writing to traders to raise awareness of the absolute deadline and the need to register for the service.

The migration from paper-based rules on CHIEF, to data processing rules on CDS was scheduled in two stages, with import declarations moving on the 30th September 2022, while exports, which were due to migrate on the 31st March 2023, have had their deadline extended to the 30th November 2023.

At the start of the year HMRC data showed that more than a quarter of businesses had not signed up to CDS and could potentially find themselves unable to export.

HMRC said: “The majority of frequent traders have now migrated to CDS, with 91% of import declarations now being made on the system. Through our extension process we have provided extra time for those who had a good reason why they couldn’t migrate to CDS. We continue to work with declarants to support them moving across and ensure there is no disruption to trade.”

It is critical to note that CDS requires far more data and specific information than CHIEF and may involve changes to commercial documentation.

Our clients have been migrated onto the CDS platform and are supported by our customs brokerage team, but if you have not registered for CDS, or are uncertain how it applies to you, we can guide you through the changes and actions required.