CHIEF (Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight) was HMRC's long-running declaration system, now retired and replaced by the Customs Declaration Service (CDS).
What was CHIEF?
CHIEF processed UK import and export declarations for decades. HMRC has closed it and moved all declarations to CDS.
Why does CHIEF still come up?
Older guidance, integrations and procedures referenced CHIEF, so traders migrating systems still encounter the term.
How it relates to classification
Whether on CHIEF or CDS, the declaration always needed a correct commodity code — the platform changed, the classification requirement did not.
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FAQ
Frequently asked questions
No — it has been retired in favour of CDS.
The Customs Declaration Service (CDS).