Border delays, for customs documentation requests from HMRC.
In recent weeks, many companies exporting to the United Kingdom have been facing border delays, sudden tax inspections, and urgent requests for customs documentation from HMRC. British authorities are increasing scrutiny on everything related to VAT, customs declarations, product labelling, goods’ origin, and overseas registrations.
According to the authorities, many businesses are simply not prepared: mistakes such as wrong VAT claims, poorly structured contracts, or incomplete documentation are leading to fines, temporary seizures of goods, and serious financial losses.
Here are some of the most common issues:
- ❌ Recovering VAT on goods not legally owned
- ❌ Failing to identify overseas VAT registration obligations
- ❌ Errors in customs codes or import/export data
- ❌ Incomplete or inconsistent paperwork to support VAT zero-rating
📦 And if your company exports to the UK, these risks are real for you too.
Real Case: One delayed CHED can block your entire load (Groupage Example)
When you’re shipping a mixed load or groupage, you face even greater risks. Here’s a real-world scenario we’ve seen:
A vehicle is carrying 3 different consignments, each with its own CHED (Common Health Entry Document) properly submitted on IPAFFS and declared in CDS. Two of them are validated. One is still under documentary check.
Result: the entire load is blocked by an SPS hold on the CDS declaration. Nothing can be released until all CHEDs are marked as valid.
✅ Solution:
- Constant real-time tracking on IPAFFS and CDS
- Proactive communication with Port Health Authority (PHA)
- In some cases, physical separation (devanning) of consignments and re-submission of the customs declaration may be needed to move forward
And it doesn’t end there…
❌ Another risk: Off-loaded consignments not properly updated
Let’s say a supplier removes a consignment before it reaches Great Britain. You cancel the CHED – but you forget to amend the CDS declaration.
📌 Consequence? The SPS hold remains active, because the system expects to verify a CHED that no longer exists.
✅ What to do:
- Remove the related commodity code and CHED reference from CDS
- Only then can the load be released
- In rare cases, if CDS can’t be edited, the National Clearance Hub may approve a manual release — but only with correct justification
Even if everything looks perfect — the data must be aligned.
We’ve seen shipments remain on hold even though all CHEDs were valid. Why?
- CHED reference numbers not correctly copied into CDS
- Mismatched commodity codes
- Non-English characters pasted into IPAFFS
- Final destination not recognised as a UK address
These tiny inconsistencies can lead to major delays.
🎯 With Cesca Logistics, you’re not alone.
Many businesses handle this in a fragmented way:
- One agent for CDS
- Another for IPAFFS
- A tax advisor for VAT
- And no one checking document alignment for audits
At Cesca Logistics, we manage everything with one team, one strategy, one point of contact:
Here’s how we help:
✔️ IOR (Importer of Record) – Legal entry of goods into the UK
✔️ AR (Authorised Representative) – Ensuring regulatory compliance
✔️ FBO coordination – For food and health safety obligations
✔️ CHED & IPAFFS – Setup, monitoring and validation
✔️ CDS customs declarations – Accurate and aligned
✔️ VAT representation and consultancy – To avoid penalties and overcharges
✔️ Direct authority communication – Port, sanitary, customs
✔️ SPS hold resolution & manual release support – Fast and compliant
✅ One partner. One vision. Total control.
We are the only UK-based partner who supports your export from start to finish — from factory to final delivery.
- 🇮🇹 We speak your language — Italian and English
- 📋 We understand both UK and EU regulations
- 🧩 We work with customs, accountants, health inspectors and logistics — and we connect them all
Everything is coordinated under one roof. And if something goes wrong — we take full responsibility.
Already shipping to the UK? Then you know what we’re talking about.
📞 Talk to us before your next load ships.
We’ll help you avoid delays, cut costs, and protect your brand