Guidance

Aggregating simplified declarations for imports using CHIEF

Find out about the data requirements that need to be met when aggregating simplified declarations using Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF).

This guidance was withdrawn on

The Customs Declaration Service has replaced the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) for import declarations. Find out about the customs simplified procedures aggregation rules for the Customs Declaration Service.

From 1 October 2022, you will not be able to make import declarations on the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system.

If you import goods, you need to use the Customs Declaration Service. It can take time for your businesses to complete the move and the sooner you start the easier it will be.

Find out more information about the Customs Declaration Service.

The following table shows:

  • the fields that must contain identical data
  • the data required in each field on the aggregated Supplementary Declaration Imports (SDI) and Supplementary Declaration Warehouse (SDW)

Header level data

Single Administrative Document (SAD) box and Data Element (DE) Description Requiring identical data Data requirement
1(1) DECLN-TYPE Declaration type Yes  
1(2) Declaration code Yes Y – SDP SDI
Z – EIDR SDI/SDW
2 CONSGR-NAME etc Consignor Yes Enter full name and address of consignor or exporter (may be declared at item level).
8(1) CONSGE- Consignee Yes Enter the country code and EORI (may be declared at item level).
TID     If UK EORI not held, enter appropriate new code.
8(2) CONSGE-NAME etc.   Yes If UK EORI not held, enter full name and address of consignee.
14(1) DECLT-REP Declarant or representative Yes Code changes:
1 – self representation
2 – direct representation
3 – indirect representation
14(2) DECLT - TID   Yes If required, enter either the country code and EORI or if UK EORI not held, enter the appropriate new code.
14(3) DECLT-NAME, etc.   Yes If UK EORI is not held, enter full name and address of declarant or representative.
15a DISP-CNTRY Country of dispatch Yes  
19 Container    
21(1) TRPT - CNTRY Nationality of active means of transport crossing the border See requirement SDW - dependant on tariff requirement but not completed if the goods are moving by post, rail or fixed installation.

On SDI, if required enter either the nationality of the means of transport crossing the border, or if data cannot be aggregated - the most common nationality in the aggregation.

For example aggregating twenty SFDs. 3 are UK vessels, 3 are DE vessels and 11 are GR vessels. Enter GR in the aggregated SDI. On SDW, if required, enter either the nationality of the means of transport crossing the border, or if data cannot be aggregated leave it blank.
22 INV-CRRN INV-TOT-AC Invoice currency and total amount invoiced Yes  
25 TRPT-MODE-CODE Mode of transport at the border Yes Dependant on Tariff requirement for SDI and only required on SDW if air transport costs incurred (box 62 completed).
26 TRPT-MODE-INLD Inland mode of transport Yes Not required on SDW.
30 GDS-LOCN-CODE Location of the goods Yes Required for SDI, not required on SDW. Enter the place where the goods were unloaded or available for examination. Enter ‘GB’ followed by the appropriate code from Appendix C2 or C3. In part 3, if the goods arrive at an airport where CCS-UK is used, enter the appropriate code from Appendix C4. If not appropriate, leave part 3 blank.
44 DECLN-UCR Additional information   See codes for licence identifiers, authorisations, documents and certificates. in Tariff Appendices C9, C10 and C11 for full details. DUCR/part - document code ‘9DCR’. Multiple DUCR/parts - document code ‘9DCS’. DUCR format is ‘Year/ GB/ EORI/-/ traders’ reference. If aggregating 40 or less DUCRs, enter the first DUCR/part under code ‘9DCR’ and the remaining DUCRs under code ‘9DCS’. If aggregating more than 40 DUCRs, enter the following trader reference under code ‘9DCR’, enter ‘AGG’ as the first three characters, followed by a unique reference code (maximum of 18 characters) that provides an audit trail back to the relevant SFD and EIDR records. For example 07/GB/EORI/-/ AGG123456789101112131.
GCON-EORI   Yes Govt. contractor - AI statement code GCONT. Enter contractor’s EORI (without GB prefix).
PREM-NAME etc   Yes Designated premises - AI statement code PREMS. Enter name and address of the location of the UK customs warehouse goods (if required by CPC).
SPOFF-NAME etc   Yes Supervising office - AI statement code SPOFF. If PREMS information is provided (see above), enter name and address of customs office responsible for supervising the goods at the premises.
48 FIR-DAN FIR-DAN-PFX SCND-DAN SCND-DAN-PFX Deferred payment Yes Enter one of codes A-D, then consignees or declarants Deferment Account Number (DAN).
49 PREM-ID Warehouse Yes If warehousing or Free Zone CPC is declared in box 37, enter type, reference and country code. Otherwise leave blank.
61-68 Various Value build up Yes  

Item level data

Single Administrative Document (SAD) box and Data Element (DE) Description Requiring identical data Data requirement
31(1) GDS-DESC Goods description Yes For SDI and SDW - required for all goods If the description in the software commodity code file is precise enough, not ‘other’ (see details and example in the tariff), enter this commodity code description.

For traders without a software commodity code file, the description must be sufficient to allow the easy identification, classification and examination of the goods. For aggregation, the description of all the goods must be the same.
31(2) PKG-MARKS Package marks and no’s. See requirement. For SDI and SDW - Enter phrase ‘as per bill of lading/air waybill’. A complete audit trail for the goods must be provided by box 40 (previous doc), box 44 (DUCR) and the SFD or EIDR records.
PKG-COUNT Number of packages Yes For SDI and SDW Enter the number of packages or pieces covered by the declaration.
PKG-KIND Kind of packages See requirement For SDI and SDW - On the SDI enter the code for the kind of packaging as stated on the SFD. If more than one kind of package page 9 of 12 used, enter ‘NA’. On the SDW enter the code for the kind of packaging used on release from the warehouse. If more than one kind of package used enter ‘NA’.
31(3) CNTR-NO Container See requirement For SDI and SDW, If a container is used enter info here. If not, leave blank.

On the SDI enter container numbers if used or known leave blank.

On the SDW enter container number (if used to remove the goods from the warehouse) or leave blank.
33 TARIC-CMDTY-CODE EC-SUPPLEMEN T EC-SUPPLEMEN T-2 Commodity code Yes  
34a ITEM-ORIGIN-CNTRY Country of origin Yes  
35 ITEM-GROSS-MASS Gross mass   Required on SDI and SDW if value apportioned by weight (box 64 completed). Enter gross mass up to 3 decimal places.
36 PREFERENCE Preference Yes  
37 CPC Procedure Yes  
38 ITEM-NET-MASS Net mass    
39 QTA-NO Quota Yes  
40 PREV-DOC-CLASS PREV-DOC-TYPE PREV-DOC-REF Summary declaration and previous document. See requirement On SDI and SDW, enter either class, type and reference number of the previous documents (if this information can be aggregated) or enter the following codes:
- Class - ‘Z’
- Type - ‘ZZZ’
- ‘Ref’ - ‘AGG’+ code (up to 17 characters) that provides audit trail back to the previous declarations and documents.

For example Z-ZZZ-AGG123456789ABCDEFG
41 ITEM-SUPP-UNITS Supplementary units    
42 ITEM-PRC-AC etc Item price    
43 VAL-MTHD-CODE_ Valuation method Yes  
44 Additional information Yes Codes for licence identifiers, authorisations, documents and certificates. See tariff annexes for full details.
ITEM-THIRD-QUANTIT     Third quantity - AI statement code THRDQ.
I-SPOFF-NAME etc   Yes Supervising office - AI statement code SPOFF.
45 VAL-ADJT-CODE ITEM-VAL-ADJT Adjustment Yes  
46 ITEM-STAT-VAL-DC Statistical value    
47a - e TTY-CODE Calculation of taxes Yes  

Updates to this page

Published 21 October 2021
Last updated 4 July 2022 + show all updates
  1. Information about not being able to make import declarations on the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF) system from 1 October 2022 has been added.

  2. First published.

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