What to do when CDS is unavailable
Check HMRC's service notices and ask your broker whether the declaration failed, is awaiting a response or has been accepted. Confirm any authorised contingency instructions before proceeding, and agree who controls retries to avoid duplicate submissions. Coordinate factory paperwork through Cambridge China Bridge.
Check the notice against the actual problem
HMRC publishes a Customs Declaration Service availability and issues page. Check its current planned downtime and service issues, then save the relevant notice with the time you checked it. Compare its scope with your broker's error message. Avoid using an old outage announcement as today's instruction.
Ask the broker to distinguish a service outage from a declaration rejection, delayed response or local software problem. Record the affected shipment and goods location. For the ordinary process outside an outage, see UK customs clearance.
Give your broker a clear action brief
Request the submission time, local reference, declaration reference if available, exact error and latest acknowledgement. Ask what the broker can establish from its software records, what remains unknown and whether its software provider is investigating. Agree a named contact and the next update point.
HMRC directs users to its online reporting form when they cannot solve the problem. Ask your broker to coordinate the report and retain the submitted details, correspondence and case reference. Check the reporting page for current contact instructions if the form is unavailable. Clarify responsibilities using our sourcing agent, forwarder and broker guide.
Confirm the contingency before acting
Ask the broker to obtain the current HMRC instruction or written case-specific direction for any proposed contingency. Request confirmation that it covers your declaration type, goods and location, along with any permission needed, documents to supply and evidence of release. Treat a suggestion to use paper or email as something to verify before acting.
Agree who carries out each action and how the shipment will be reconciled after service resumes. Ask specifically whether a later electronic submission is needed and how it should relate to the existing entry or contingency record. Keep the instruction and any authorisation in the shipment file.
Control retries and prevent duplicate entries
Treat a timeout or missing response as an unknown outcome until the broker checks the submission records. Ask it to establish whether the entry was received, accepted, rejected or remains unresolved before deciding to retry. Keep a shared log of attempts, references, responses and the agreed next action.
Agree that the named broker controls retries. Before appointing another broker, obtain a handover recording all existing submissions and unresolved responses. Do not ask another agent to file while the original entry's status is unknown. If duplicate entries appear, ask the broker to investigate and confirm the appropriate correction rather than assuming either entry can be ignored.
Working out your own order? Send us the product on WhatsApp and we reply the same working day: WhatsApp us
Reconcile release and delivery after recovery
When service resumes, ask the broker to reconcile pending responses and contingency records against the shipment. Obtain written customs release confirmation, then check carrier release and terminal availability separately before dispatching the haulier. Use our container delay prevention guide for collection and charge planning.
Keep the outage timeline, notices, broker instructions, submissions and release evidence together. Ask Cambridge China Bridge's staff in China to coordinate any factory document corrections the broker identifies, retaining the original and revised versions. Agree delivery changes with the forwarder while the broker resolves the declaration status.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I check whether CDS is down?
Check HMRC's Customs Declaration Service availability and issues page. Match the current notice to the affected function and your broker's error, and save the notice with the time you checked it.
Should my broker resubmit after a CDS timeout?
Ask it to check the original submission and pending responses first. A timeout leaves the outcome uncertain. Agree who controls any retry and record the decision against the shipment.
Can my broker use paper or email during a CDS outage?
Ask for the current HMRC instruction or written case-specific direction supporting that route. Confirm its scope, any permission needed, release evidence and what must happen after service resumes.
Can I switch brokers while CDS is unavailable?
Arrange a documented handover before another submission. Include existing references, attempts and unresolved responses, and agree who will check the original entry and control further filing.