Do you clear loads moved by other hauliers?

Yes. Our customs desk clears our own trailers and containers, and it clears loads moved by other hauliers on exactly the same footing. You do not have to move the freight with us to use our clearance.

Do I need an EORI number?

Yes, a GB EORI to import or export from the UK, plus an EU or XI EORI for the other party where the movement needs one. We can guide you through registering if you do not have one yet.

CDS is HMRC's Customs Declaration Service, the platform that replaced CHIEF for UK import and export declarations. We file directly on CDS for both imports and exports.

Can you handle duty deferment and postponed VAT accounting?

Yes. We can use your duty deferment account or ours where arranged, and most B2B imports move under postponed VAT accounting. We confirm the right treatment for your goods before we file.

How quickly are entries cleared?

We lodge your declaration as soon as the paperwork is complete, and pre-arrival declarations such as ENS and GMR references are prioritised to meet their deadlines. How quickly HMRC releases the goods depends on the goods and any checks, so if an entry is held, you will hear from us before you have to ask.

HMRC · CDS · NCTS

UK Customs Clearance

Customs clearance for UK imports and exports, handled in-house by a real desk rather than a bolt-on. We file your import and export entries, NCTS transit and Safety & Security (ENS) declarations, explain the tricky bits in plain English and keep your loads moving.

In-house CDS team

Experienced, HMRC-authorised customs agent.

Pre-arrival filings first

ENS, ICS2 and GMR prioritised to meet their deadlines.

All declaration types

Imports, exports, NCTS, ENS, ICS2, GMR.

Fees agreed in writing

Per-entry pricing, agreed before we file.

Our services

Everything you need at the border

However your goods move, one desk handles the paperwork, so nothing falls between your import, export, transit and safety filings.

Import Clearance

We manage import customs procedures for goods entering the UK by air, sea or road. We check your commodity codes, origin and valuation before we file, and query anything that looks wrong with you first, so the entry goes in right the first time.

Export Clearance

Leave the export paperwork to us. We pre-lodge your export declaration on CDS before the goods leave, so the load is not held at the port waiting for an entry.

NCTS (UK ↔ EU Transit)

When your goods move under transit, our team lodges the NCTS declarations and monitors the full journey so your shipments stay on track and compliant from office of departure to office of destination.

Safety & Security (ENS, ICS2)

We submit Entry Summary Declarations (ENS) and Import Control System 2 (ICS2) for goods entering the UK and EU, meeting all pre-arrival safety and security requirements within the required deadlines.

Declaration types

What we lodge for you

Declaration	Use	When we file
Import entry (CDS)	Standard release into free circulation	Once paperwork is complete
Export declaration	Pre-lodged CDS export	Before the goods leave
NCTS / T1 transit	Movement under union/common transit	Before the load moves
ENS (Safety & Security)	Pre-arrival declaration	Priority, before arrival
GMR (Goods Movement)	GVMS reference for RoRo crossings	Priority, before check-in
Inward / Outward Processing	Customs special procedures	Planned per job

Import entry (CDS)
Once paperwork is complete
Standard release into free circulation
Export declaration
Before the goods leave
Pre-lodged CDS export
NCTS / T1 transit
Before the load moves
Movement under union/common transit
ENS (Safety & Security)
Priority, before arrival
Pre-arrival declaration
GMR (Goods Movement)
Priority, before check-in
GVMS reference for RoRo crossings
Inward / Outward Processing
Planned per job
Customs special procedures

NCTS / T1 transit

Moving goods under transit with a T1

Transit lets your goods cross a border with the duty and import VAT held in suspense, so they are cleared where they finish their journey rather than at the port where they arrive. The T1 is the transit declaration, lodged on NCTS (the New Computerised Transit System), and a guarantee covers the duty in suspense while the goods are on the move.

What a T1 is

A transit declaration for goods that are not in free circulation, lodged on NCTS before the goods set off.
It gives the movement a reference (the MRN) that travels with the goods to the office of destination.
A guarantee covers the duty and VAT in suspense until the movement is closed.

When your shipment needs one

Goods crossing between the UK and the EU that will be cleared at an inland office rather than at the port.
Goods passing through another country on the way to their final destination, such as a landbridge across the UK.
Non-UK goods arriving at a UK port that move on under customs control before they are cleared.

How we handle it

Our customs desk lodges the T1 on NCTS and checks the guarantee covers the goods before the load moves.
You get the MRN and transit document to travel with the driver, whether the trailer is ours or another haulier's.
We watch the movement until the office of destination closes it, and chase it with you if it stays open.

Not sure whether your load should travel under transit or be cleared at the border? Send us the route and the goods and we will tell you which works better before anything is filed. If you are working out the procedure code for the final clearance, our CPC code reference covers the common ones.

How it works

From paperwork to cleared, in four steps

Whether the load is on our trailer or someone else's, the same desk takes it from documents to release.

1
Send us the details
Commercial invoice, packing list and movement details, however you have them.
2
We classify & prepare
Commodity codes checked and the right procedure and duty treatment confirmed.
3
Lodged with HMRC
Import, export, NCTS or ENS declaration filed directly on CDS once the paperwork is complete.
4
Cleared & released
Clearance, ENS, ICS2 and GMR references back to you so the load keeps moving.

Why CMI

Why businesses bring their customs work to CMI

Customs is core work for us, not an afterthought. Our in-house desk clears our own trailers and containers, and clears your loads moved by other hauliers on exactly the same footing.

Independent UK forwarder
Est. 2009
UK-wide collections
AEO customs team

Ireland trailer service CPC code reference

One team who knows you
Experienced freight people handle every stage of your shipment, working together as one team. Whoever you speak to can see where your freight is and what happens next, so if someone is on holiday, you are never left waiting.
Customs on the same desk
Import and export entries, NCTS transit and ENS declarations are filed in-house by our AEO customs team, not handed to a third-party broker.
Lane specialists since 2009
Independent and UK-based, running daily Ireland departures and scheduled EU lanes from our own hub, with a team that has spent decades on these exact routes.
Written quotes up front
Every rate is confirmed in writing before anything is booked, so you know the delivered cost before you commit, with no minimums buried in the small print.

FAQ