Software Update Glitch Affects CDS And GVMS - What You Need To Do

Here's what to do if you've been affected by a "major incident" affecting CDS and GVMS which disrupted Roll-on/Roll-off freight entering Britain

Earlier today HMG advised about a "major incident" affecting the Customs Declaration Service (CDS) and Goods Vehicle Movement System (GVMS) which is disrupting Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) freight entering Britain, impacting just-in-time deliveries.

An overnight update to exchange rates within the Customs Declaration Service system had technical difficulties involving some declarations not being automatically processed by GVMS in the normal way due to an "issue with GBP rate conversion" in which customs values are missing in declarations, even if they have been correctly submitted by traders. The glitch prevented a Goods Movement Reference (GMR) being automatically validated in GVMS.

According to the Institute of Export & International Trade (IOE&IT), many trucks were diverted to inland border facilities (IBFs) to have their declarations manually processed, rather than being able to travel immediately from the port of entry to their destination point.

It was reported that an update to remove the 999L waiver code for imports may have inadvertently caused this issue with the Exchange Rate Service (XRS) within CDS. In fact it was not caused by the removal of 999L, but uploading the new rates of exchange for February that caused the problem.

At 2pm GMT HMRC advised the following:

As we already alerted you to, earlier today, there has been an issue with an overnight update to exchange rates within the CDS system, this has now been resolved.

If you have had a declaration rejected today (1 February 2024) between midnight and 12 noon (00:00-12:00) and your goods have been:

• i) permitted to move to their destination without attending an Inland Border Facility (IBF),
• ii) turned away from an IBF, or
• iii) released from an IBF or temporary storage port

You will need to submit a replacement ‘arrived’ non-inventory linked declaration as soon as possible.

If your goods are still at a temporary storage port or IBF, colleagues are working hard to release vehicles as soon as possible, and you will need to submit a replacement ‘arrived’ declaration as above after your goods have been released.

After you have submitted your arrived replacement declaration, you will need to get customs clearance. Your goods will not be cleared for a customs procedure (free circulation for example) until you have received a customs clearance.

Please also be aware from 31 January 2024 you will no longer be able to use document code 999L for Customs Declaration Service (CDS) import declarations.

Pre-lodged import declarations made before 31 January 2024 that arrive after this date will be rejected unless the correct waiver document code has been supplied in place of 999L.

Find Customs Declaration Service (CDS) waiver codes for imports replacing 999L at GOV.UK here

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