Thank you for joining this short webinar, showing you how to identify the declaration category
when making an import declaration using the Customs Declaration Service.
This is step 1 of a series of short webinars taking you through the
Customs Declaration Service guidance on completing an import declaration.
This table sets out the step-by-step guides we’ll be covering in this series.
We’ll be showing you screenshots from GOV.UK HMRC is constantly improving the digital
experience of our customers so you may find that some of these screenshots will be slightly
different to those you'll see on GOV.UK
This webinar series follows Hallie, who is importing children’s t-shirts
into Great Britain from the USA. She has her own software product which
means she can submit her own declarations via the Customs Declaration Service.
Her t-shirts will be entering free circulation in Great Britain.
We’ll be following her journey throughout this series as she makes her first import
declaration using the Customs Declaration Service.
The Customs Declaration Service Instructions guidance was rebranded in May 2022 and
was previously referred to as ‘Navigate the UK Trade Tariff: CDS volume 3 for imports’.
Hallie’s first step is to start with the import navigation guide
which gives step-by-step instructions to how to complete the import declaration.
Once Hallie has selected the appropriate link,
she will see the 10 steps she’ll need to follow for her to submit a valid declaration.
It’s important that Hallie follows the steps in order
otherwise her declaration will fail validation.
Hallie will also need to consult the GB Tariff Supplement as well as the navigation guide as
part of the import declaration process which she can access using this link.
The GB Tariff supplement contains changes made to declaration completion procedures
since Great Britain left the EU on 31 December 2020 and is frequently updated.
For businesses based in Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Tariff supplement
would need to be used instead. Declaration category
In order for Hallie to select the correct declaration category for her goods,
she will need to use Appendix 21. The link to this is in ‘Step 1’ in
the navigation guide. Hallie selects this link. Introduction to Declaration Category Data sets
The link will open Appendix 21: Introduction to Declaration Category Data Sets guidance.
Hallie can then select a declaration category relating to the movement of her goods.
In turn, this will identify the data elements she needs to complete on her
import declaration. Data elements
The Customs Declaration Service requires completion of data elements
which replace the boxes on the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (or CHIEF) system.
Hallie selects Appendix 21: Introduction to Declaration Category Data Sets.
…and scrolls down the instructions in Appendix 21
to find the description of the declaration category.
As her goods are going into free circulation in the UK following import from the USA, she will
need to use declaration category ‘H1'.
Now Hallie has selected the correct declaration category, ‘H1’, for the children’s t-shirts.
Her next step is to identify the correct
commodity code.
Watch our next video to find out how to identify the right commodity code.