CHIEF
Also called: Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight
The former UK customs declaration system, used for decades for import and export entries. It was retired in stages, with import declarations moving to the Customs Declaration Service in 2022 and export declarations following in 2024.
In practice
Older guidance, procedure codes and data formats that refer to CHIEF no longer apply, so documentation should reference CDS.
Applies to: 
UK
Related terms
- Customs Declaration Service
- The UK's electronic system for customs declarations, operated by HMRC. It replaced the older CHIEF system for imports in 2022 and for exports in…
- HMRC
- The UK tax and customs authority, responsible for collecting customs duty, import VAT and excise, issuing advance rulings and running CDS. Border…
- Customs declaration
- The act by which a person indicates, in the prescribed form, the customs procedure to be applied to goods and provides the data needed to apply it,…