China cargo arrived but transit is not discharged
Collect the transit reference, receiving records and customs message history, then send them to the procedure holder and declaration provider. Ask what remains unresolved and who will handle any enquiry. Keep delivery, transit discharge and import release evidence separate. Supplier paperwork can be coordinated by Cambridge China Bridge.
Establish what actually arrived
Ask the inland operator to confirm the goods’ current location, arrival date, vehicle or container identity and transit reference. Request the gate record, signed receiving receipt and any seal or shortage records. Distinguish arrival at the premises from presentation to customs; ask who handled the latter and what evidence they hold.
Check whether the declaration names the inland destination you actually used. For the original transport arrangements, see moving uncleared goods inland. This guide addresses the unresolved movement after arrival.
Contact the holder and declaration provider
Send the evidence to the transit procedure holder and the provider that submitted the declaration. Ask for a named case owner, the current system status and copies of arrival, rejection, control and write-off messages where available. Ask whether customs received the arrival notification and what remains outstanding.
HMRC says the departure declarant receives the write-off notification. Include that provider even if the haulier says delivery is complete. Our guide to agents, forwarders and customs brokers helps clarify the appointments.
Build a shipment-matched evidence pack
Put the transit declaration or accompanying document, receiving records, invoice, packing list, transport document and any import declaration and release record together. Match the transit reference, goods description, package count, weight and container identity across them. Use our customs paperwork guide for the underlying documents.
Explain mismatches in a covering note rather than altering original records. Include a factual timeline of arrival, customs contact, unloading and onward movement. Ask the China supplier for missing packing details or loading records; these support shipment identification but should not be presented as customs discharge confirmation.
Respond through the enquiry route
Ask the holder whether an enquiry has started, which office is handling it and whether the goods remain available for presentation. Forward any enquiry immediately to the case owner. Answer the actual questions, observe the stated response deadline and keep the submission and acknowledgement together.
For late presentation without the goods, after the movement time limit plus 7 days, HMRC distinguishes whether an enquiry message has been received. Without it, the evidence goes through the holder to the enquiry authority at departure; with it, the destination office forwards the evidence to the UK enquiry team. Ask the holder to confirm the applicable route.
Keep import evidence and discharge separate
In that late-presentation enquiry process, HMRC says an import entry is not acceptable alternative evidence for discharging the transit document. Keep the import entry in the enquiry pack, but ask for the separate outcome on the outstanding transit movement.
Close your shipment file only when the case owner explains the outcome and provides the supporting customs records. Check import release separately using our UK customs clearance guide. If the case remains unresolved, record the missing evidence, the responsible person and the next agreed action.
Frequently asked questions
My China cargo arrived inland. Why is transit still open?
Ask the operator to check presentation, arrival messages, destination details and outstanding controls. A receiving receipt alone does not explain the customs status.
Who should I contact about undischarged transit?
Contact the procedure holder and declaration provider together. Copy the inland operator and haulier where their records are needed, and ask for a named case owner.
What evidence should I collect for a transit enquiry?
Collect the transit reference, receiving and transport records, invoice, packing list, customs messages and any import release evidence. Explain discrepancies and provide a factual timeline.
Does my import declaration close the transit movement?
Do not assume it does. HMRC’s late-presentation guidance says an import entry is not acceptable alternative evidence for discharging the transit document. Request the separate transit outcome.