Customs declaration
What the declaration needs
This is the workstream you run in CDUK, from draft to submission.
- Classification of the goods
- Origin and commercial value
- Procedure and supporting references
- Review of the draft before submission
Customs software · Chemicals
Customs Declaration Software for Chemicals
Prepare the customs entry from the product’s actual composition and use. CDUK lets your team bring filing in-house, with shipment information and supporting references organised in one account. You prepare, check and submit directly to HMRC, with our UK team behind you. Imports of raw materials and intermediates and exports of finished products all sit in one account, so your team can see the status of each declaration and the documents behind it.
- GB CDS declarations
- AI document processing
- Supporting references
- Built-in checks
- Generate a draft from e-mailed papersForward the invoice and packing list. AI reads them into a draft your team reviews before filing.
- Apply saved product settings to an itemPick a saved chemical product and its commodity settings and document references fill in.
- Complete specialist checks before you fileWork through the review list, with regulatory points confirmed by your specialist before submission.
- Submit with supporting references keptYour team submits in-house and the supporting references stay attached to the entry.
In a nutshell
A chemical shipment needs more detail than a trading name. The description of the substance or mixture, its composition, its concentration and its intended use all feed the customs entry, and a shared commercial category does not mean every line uses the same code. Outsourcing that detail on every shipment adds cost and delay.
Customs Declarations UK (CDUK) lets your team file GB Customs Declaration Service (CDS) declarations in-house. AI document processing reads the safety data sheet, invoice, packing list and transport document into a reviewable draft, and supporting references stay together on the declaration.
You prepare each declaration, check it and submit it directly to HMRC, with built-in checks and our UK support team behind you. Product-specific decisions are yours, and CDUK guides them with UK Tariff lookup and validation. Pay as you go, with no monthly fee.
Three workstreams
Keep customs and chemical regulation connected.
The same data sheet may inform customs, chemical regulation and transport. They are separate workstreams with their own outcomes, and CDUK keeps the shipment data in one place so each one starts from the same, current facts.
Chemical regulation
What runs alongside it
Run by your regulatory team, using the same product records. Tidy product detail in CDUK means those checks can use the same facts.
- Applicable registrations, restrictions or permissions
- Your role in the supply chain under UK REACH (the UK chemicals regulation)
- Whether the product may be placed on the market
Transport
What movement requires
Run by your transport and safety team, from the same shipment data. Packaging, route and carrier details are captured once.
- Packaging requirements where relevant
- Dangerous-goods transport requirements where relevant
- Carrier and route conditions
Source documents
What each document helps with, and what it cannot.
Documents overlap, but none of them covers the whole picture. CDUK reads them together into one draft, so your team can compare the safety data sheet, invoice and transport record line by line before anything is submitted.
| Document | What it can help with | What it does not settle |
|---|---|---|
| Safety data sheet (SDS) | Identifying the product and its components | Commercial value, origin, transport detail or procedure |
| Commercial invoice | Value, parties, quantities, delivery terms | Composition or concentration, unless stated |
| Technical or analysis certificate | Specification of a particular batch or grade | Whether it matches the goods actually shipped |
| Packing list | Packages, weights and units | What the goods are, beyond a short description |
| Transport document | Carrier, route and consignment references | Product-regulatory or customs treatment |
An SDS helps identify the product, while the declaration also needs commercial, origin, transport and procedural information. CDUK brings the complete shipment record into one draft.
Illustrative example
Do not apply one value to lines that differ.
Reduce retyping without losing the technical detail. Saved parties, cloned declarations and bulk editing speed up repeat work, while your team checks descriptions, units, quantities and values on each line before submitting.
Goods lines
Check every line against its own concentration.
Use document processing to extract lines from shipment documents into a draft, then review them. Saved parties and cloned declarations make repeat products quick, with real-time validation flagging what to check when the formulation or transaction facts change.
- Share parties and delivery terms across lines with bulk editing
- Keep composition, concentration and treatment line-specific
- Spot units and quantities where documents disagree
- Update a saved product once its formulation is re-checked
| Line | Product description | Concentration | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Example cleaning concentrate | Stated, 30% | Matched |
| 2 | Example cleaning concentrate | Stated, 10% | Needs reviewDiffers from line 1 |
| 3 | Example solvent mixture | Not stated | Needs review |
- Composition checked against technical documentNeeds review
- Units consistent across documentsMatched
Example products only. No classification, hazard status or treatment is implied.
A review flow
From shipment documents to a reviewed draft.
A suggested order of work that keeps product identity ahead of the filing. Every step happens in one CDUK account, so your team can see where a declaration stands and who is working on it.
- Safety data sheetProduct identification.
- Commercial invoiceValue and parties.
- Packing listPackages and units.
- Transport documentRoute and references.
Step 1: Extract
Document processing reads your shipment documents into a structured draft, with no per-document fee. Parties, quantities, weights and values are captured once.
Step 2: Confirm identity
Your reviewer checks description, composition and units against the goods. Differences between documents are surfaced in the draft, so they are resolved before submission.
Step 3: Draft the declaration
Complete value, origin, procedure and supporting references for each line, guided by tariff lookup. Saved parties and templates fill in the repeat details.
Step 4: Submit and track
Submit directly to HMRC, then follow customs responses as notifications arrive. The audit trail records every change, giving a clear record of what was filed and when.
Your team reviews and submits every declaration. AI prepares the draft.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions from chemical traders.
Is a safety data sheet enough to complete a declaration?
An SDS helps identify the product, but the declaration also needs commercial, origin, transport and procedural information. CDUK reads the SDS alongside the invoice, packing list and transport document, so your team files from the complete shipment record.
Does Customs Declarations UK manage UK REACH registrations?
No. UK REACH registration is a separate regulatory process, and CDUK is where you file the customs declaration for the same goods. The HSE's UK REACH guidance is the place to start, and our guide to importing chemicals covers how the pieces fit together. Keeping product records in CDUK helps both.
Can an accepted declaration prove the product can be placed on the market?
No. Customs processing and product-regulatory compliance are separate matters, each with its own owner. CDUK handles the customs side, and keeps product, party and document records tidy so your regulatory checks can draw on the same data. Filing in-house keeps those records visible to the people who need them.
Is there a dangerous-goods module?
No. Dangerous-goods transport is not a module of CDUK, so packaging and transport requirements run as their own checks. They draw on much of the same product and shipment information you hold in CDUK for the customs entry.
Can we reuse a previous declaration for a repeat product?
Yes. Saved parties, templates and cloned declarations make repeat products quick, provided the formulation and transaction facts are current. Bulk editing applies shared details, while lines whose concentration, composition or treatment differs keep their own values.
Does document processing read chemical documents?
Intelligent Document Processing extracts data from your shipment documents into a draft your team reviews, with no per-document fee. You then check product descriptions, units, quantities and values before submitting. The extraction is done in minutes.
Explore related solutions
Related chemicals topics.
- Improve customs complianceBuild review and record-keeping into your filing process.
- ManufacturingInputs, processing and finished goods across borders.
- Importing chemicals into the UKA guide to UK REACH, customs compliance and declarations.
- Customs intelligent document processingExtract shipment data for review.
- GB CDS declarationsImport and export preparation on the platform.
- Pharma and healthcareMedicines, devices and healthcare goods, with their supporting references organised.
Show Us the Documents Behind a Typical Product
Bring a safety data sheet, an invoice and a transport document for one product. We will show how the filing is prepared in CDUK, from extracted draft to submission, so you can see how in-house filing saves time and cost on a real product. Register in minutes, with no monthly fee. Our UK team provides onboarding and training.