TSS Bulletin 211th Edition

Published: 29 January 2026|Bulletins

ICS2 FAQs, hints and tips.
TSS Tip – Using 6-digit commodity codes on an Entry Summary Declaration.
Reminder: Use the new CHED reference format for Northern Ireland movements.
Electronic licences.
Important Update: Customs Duty Waiver mailbox.
Register for Trader Support Service user research.

ICS2 FAQs, hints and tips

The Import Control System 2 (ICS2) is now mandatory for submitting Entry Summary Declarations for all goods movements into Northern Ireland (NI), including consignments arriving on Roll on Roll off (RoRo) ferries. So, Entry Summary Declarations must be completed in line with ICS2 requirements to ensure a successful submission.

Entry Summary Declarations guidance

The ENS Step-by-step guide: Standard Process and Consignment First Process, and the ENS step-by-step guide for maritime movements from GB to NI on The Northern Ireland Customs & Trade Academy (NICTA) website provide step-by-step instructions for completing Entry Summary Declarations in line with ICS2 requirements.

The Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI) Procedures and Additional Procedure Codes Guide provides useful information for completing an IMMI following the submission of an Entry Summary Declaration through ICS2.

There are also recorded webinars available on NICTA, which may help complete Entry Summary Declarations and submission through ICS2:

Locating International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Numbers

ICS2 requires the IMO number of the vessel to be declared in the Identity Number of Transport field. The IMO number is a unique 7-digit identification reference, prefixed by ‘IMO’, assigned to a vessel as a permanent number for identification purposes.

You can get the IMO for your movement from your ferry operator or view them online at Ships List with Details and Live Maps.

The IMO number remains unchanged throughout the vessel’s lifetime, even if the ship’s name, ownership, or flag state changes.

For further information, see:

How to identify your commodity codes on NICTA
Northern Ireland Online Tariff on GOV.UK

For further support on ICS2, raise a case through the TSS Portal or call the TSS Contact Centre on 0800 060 8888.

TSS Tip – Using 6-digit commodity codes on an Entry Summary Declaration

A minimum 6-digit commodity code is required on all Entry Summary Declarations that are submitted to ICS2 when using the TSS Portal. In certain scenarios, the TSS will require you to provide a 6-, 8-, or 10-digit commodity code depending on the type of goods you are moving and the TSS journey you are using.

When moving non-controlled goods using the TSS Simplified Procedure, you will be required to enter at least a 6-digit commodity code on the Entry Summary Declaration. If you are moving controlled goods using the TSS Simplified Procedure, you will be required to enter a 10-digit commodity code, which will also be submitted to the Customs Declaration Service (CDS).

If you are using the TSS Simplified Procedure, it is important to remember that you will have a Supplementary Declaration to complete once the goods arrive, in which the commodity code must be entered in 10 digits. If you and your goods are eligible, you can convert your Supplementary Declaration to an Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI), where a 6 or 8-digit commodity code is required.

When moving goods using the pre-movement IMMI, the Entry Summary Declaration combined form will submit an IMMI for you at the same time as submitting the Entry Summary Declaration.

The length of your commodity code will vary depending on the category of your goods. Where standard goods are being moved, you can use a 6-digit commodity code, but for Category 2 goods, this must be a minimum 8-digit code.

Remember, the Trader Goods Profile (TGP) can also assist in auto-populating this data.

Note: If you provide an 8 or 10-digit commodity code on your Entry Summary Declaration, TSS will use this for submission to CDS but shorten it to provide only the first 6 digits to ICS2.

Can I combine different commodity codes on an Entry Summary Declaration?

When completing an Entry Summary Declaration in the TSS portal, you cannot use ‘grouping’ – that is, the common term used for grouping commodity codes in customs declarations. However, you may combine commodity codes if they fall under the same 6-digit classification.

For example, if the following three commodity codes are listed on your commercial invoice:

6110111000 – Unisex assorted Christmas jumpers (65% wool, 35% cotton), size Medium
6110113000 – Men’s sleeveless cardigans (30% wool, 70% polyester), size Large
6110119000 – Women’s long line cardigans (30% wool, 70% polyester), size Small

These can be entered on your Entry Summary Declaration as one goods record:

611011 – Wool mix assorted jumpers and cardigans, various sizes.

By combining these commodity codes to the 6-digit level, you can reduce the number of goods records you create on your Entry Summary Declaration consignment.

It is essential to ensure that, if you are combining commodity codes on the Entry Summary Declaration, you enter all commodity codes by adding the total number of packages and the value of each item. It is important to remember that the goods description should be accurate and that it contains detail on all the goods declared.

Where you have combined your commodity codes using the example above, you will need to ensure all three commodity codes are entered on your Supplementary Declaration as per the commercial invoice. This means creating new goods records on your Supplementary Declaration and replacing the 6-digit commodity code used on the Entry Summary Declaration with the full 10-digit code.

For further information and guidance on completing an Entry Summary Declaration in the TSS Portal, see the ENS Step-by-step guide: Standard Process and Consignment First Process on NICTA. You can also raise a case on the TSS Portal or contact the Contact Centre on 0800 060 8888.

Reminder: Use the new CHED reference format for Northern Ireland movements

As of 15 September 2025, you must provide Common Health Entry Document (CHED) references for NI movements in the new format in CDS Data Element 2/3 ‘Documents and other reference codes’.

For non-Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS) declarations pre-notified to the Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES)

The CHED reference format must include letters followed by numbers and the three ‘.’ characters.

Your reference will be provided on the TRACES NT platform, where the CHED application was submitted. You can copy and paste this into the Document Reference field at the goods item level in the TSS Portal.

The CHED reference will depend on the CHED type you are using:

Document code ‘C640’: Live Animals – ‘CHEDA.XI.yyyy.nnnnnnn’
Document code ‘C085’: Plant Products – ‘CHEDPP.XI.yyyy.nnnnnnn’
Document code ‘N853’: Products of Animal Origin – ‘CHEDP.XI.yyyy.nnnnnnn’
Document code ‘C678’: Feed and Food of Non-Animal Origin – ‘CHEDD.XI.yyyy.nnnnnnn’

Note that:

‘yyyy’ represents the year the licence was issued, for example ‘2025’
‘nnnnnnn’ represents the CHED reference number, for example ‘1234567’
The three ‘.’ characters must be included

As an example, for Live Animals, the new CHED format reference would be ‘CHEDA.XI.2025.1234567’.

For NIRMS movements

For NIRMS movements from GB to NI, the CHED reference must be in the format ‘GBCHDyyyy.NIRMS.

Note that:

‘yyyy’ represents the year the movement took place, for example ‘2025’
The ‘.’ after the year must be included

An example of the CHED format for NIRMS movements would be ‘GBCHD2025.NIRMS’

Additional information

Visit GOV.UK for general information on moving licensed goods into or out of Northern Ireland and details of the licence reference formats to be declared in CDS Data Element 2/3.

Electronic licences

Some goods need special permission to be imported or exported. This permission comes in the form of an ‘Electronic licence.’ These licences are checked and approved through customs systems such as the UK’s CDS and the EU’s Single Window Environment for Customs (EU CSW-CERTEX).

Using electronic licences, such as CHED, SIL, OIL, and OGIL, speeds up the clearance process and helps ensure compliance with trade rules.

Avoid goods movement delays

To avoid system rejections, interruptions in the clearance process, inspections or goods being held, traders must carefully follow these instructions when declaring a licence:

Exact match of information

Enter the data exactly as it appears on the licence in the declaration. For example:

Commodity codes
Certificate references (for example, CHED references)
Number of units
Net mass (CDS will reject the declaration if Net Mass is not entered and there is an electronic licence)
Supplementary units
Measurement units

Correct licence reference

Quote the correct licence reference in the Document Reference field in the TSS Portal, entering the exact characters without spaces or extra whitespace
When declaring exemptions, if applicable, ensure the statement is aligned with the indications of Appendix 5A (Data Element 2/3: Documents and Other Reference Codes (Union) and ensure you hold evidence in records to demonstrate compliance with this condition

Document Status Codes

Ensure that the Document Status Code is applicable when declaring a Document Code associated with an electronic licence. The full list of status codes is available in Appendix 5B (Data Element 2/3: Documents and Other Reference Codes (Union) of CDS)
Only use ‘EE (Electronic Exhausted)’ or ‘ES (Electronic Surrendered)’ if you intend to exhaust or surrender the licence
Use ‘EP (Electronic Partial)’ only if you are partially using the quantity allowed on the licence

GOV.UK guidance

Follow the guidance in Appendix 5A and Appendix 5B (Data Element 2/3: Documents and Other Reference Codes (Union) of CDS) to complete information associated with document codes, document status codes and details to be declared, such as licences and certificates.

Important Update: Customs Duty Waiver mailbox

The Customs Duty Waiver mailbox is now closed.

If you need to report an issue with the online service, you can do this by selecting ‘Report a problem with this page’ on the page with which you are experiencing a problem.

For more information on how to claim, visit Report payments and view your allowance for non-customs state aid and Customs Duty waiver claims on GOV.UK

You can find more guidance on Customs Duty waivers or de minimis aid by following the GOV.UK link below:

Claim a waiver for duty on goods that you bring to Northern Ireland from Great Britain or countries outside the UK and EU

Register for Trader Support Service user research

This message is issued by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and Netcompany

Following a competitive procurement exercise, it was confirmed on 17 December 2025 that Netcompany has been chosen by HMRC to deliver the next phase of the TSS. Our goal is to make the new TSS as efficient and user-friendly as possible.

To get this right, Netcompany are looking to hear from you – the people who use the TSS.

Sign up for a user research session

Netcompany is scheduling user research sessions starting in the next few weeks. Typically, these are online, one-to-one meetings that will last between 45 to 60 minutes.

If you are willing to share your time to help improve the service, please register your interest using Netcompany’s online form. The company will be in touch to arrange a convenient time and date.