News

While we toast to Christmas with mince pies and mulled wine, few realise how much of the holiday season rests on the long, often hidden, history of Customs controls, import tariffs, and trade restrictions. Today’s Christmas cheer would have once been a Customs officer’s nightmare, or dream, depending on which side of t

We have been made aware that some traders are experiencing technical issues with goods location codes that were deleted following the CDS 5.0.0 update.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is currently experiencing technical difficulties with the Customs Declaration Service (CDS). To minimise disruption, HMRC has implemented contingency processes to allow businesses to continue moving goods and freight while full service is restored.

As a Customs and International Trade advisor, I need to know a lot about the importation process and understand how goods make their way onto supermarket shelves. This includes all the regulatory requirements they must meet to achieve this. Importantly, I need to understand Tariff Classification, how to determine which certificates are required for importing goods, which legislation applies, and whether the product is a food product or a composite good.

On December 11th 2025, Notice to Exporters 2025/32 was issued, advising on the UK’s formal Agreement on Defence Export Controls, a defence exports treaty with France, Germany, and Spain, designed to establish a framework to facilitate licensing by promoting closer integration across the contracting parties in the signa

The magic of Christmas, due to an elf's oversight, is dangerously up in the air. Father Christmas, with his sleigh full of presents, sends a ‘code red gift emergency’ message to the head of elf logistics at the pole.

The Customs Declaration Service update, version 5.0.0, is scheduled for release on Saturday, 13th December 2025, between 9:30 pm and 6 am Sunday, 14 December 2025. During this period, CDS will be unavailable. Please note that any pre-lodged declarations that will be affected by the changes should be changed/amended prior to the goods arriving.

The UK Government published Notice to Exporters 2025/30 on 20th November 2025, which details amendments to three elements of UK Export Controls regulations, as set out in The Export Control (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations, which will come into force on 16 th December 2025.