TSS Bulletin 212th Edition

Published: 12 February 2026|Bulletins

ICS2: Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
Advanced warning of TSS portal outage
How to submit a Supplementary Declaration
NICTA made simple
Important: New CHED reference format for Northern Ireland
Use of Meursing codes when moving ‘not at risk’ goods under UKIMS

ICS2: Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

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.

Below are some common ICS2 pitfalls we have seen in TSS submissions, and tips to avoid them:

1 – Incomplete or vague goods descriptions

The pitfall: Using generic descriptions such as ‘parts’, ‘food items’ or ‘mixed goods’

Why it matters: ICS2 relies on detailed data for safety and security risk analysis. Vague descriptions can result in rejections or requests for more information

How to avoid this:

use clear, specific descriptions – include details such as what the goods are, what they are made of and what they are used for
avoid internal product codes or abbreviations that customs authorities may not recognise
check the list of ICS2 ‘Stop Words’, which was updated on 2 February 2026, to avoid vague or ambiguous information describing the goods description, party name and address fields – visit Updated list of ICS2 Stop Words for details

2 – Incorrect or missing commodity codes

The pitfall: Entering an estimated, outdated or incomplete commodity code

Why it matters: A minimum 6-digit commodity code is required on all Entry Summary Declarations submitted to ICS2. The commodity code must align with the goods description

How to avoid this:

confirm the correct commodity code has been entered before submission – read the How to identify your commodity codes guide on NICTA for information on how to find a commodity code and the classification of goods
check the Northern Ireland Online Tariff: Look up commodity codes, duty and VAT rates on GOV.UK for up-to-date commodity codes before you submit

3 – Inaccurate Consignee or Consignor, Importer or Exporter, or Buyer or Seller Details

The pitfalls: Typos, missing addresses or inconsistent party details across documents

Why it matters: ICS2 strictly validates trader information, and mismatches can result in rejections or delays

How to avoid this:

use full legal names of business and complete addresses
keep party details consistent across all declarations and transport documents
check you have all the correct information prior to the goods movement

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.

Advanced warning of TSS portal outage

On Sunday 1 March 2026, there will be an update to the TSS Portal which will require a short downtime. This outage is currently planned to happen on 1 March from 5pm to 10pm. Further information on the update will be published in the next bulletin.

How to submit a Supplementary Declaration

As an importer using the TSS Simplified Procedure for your goods movements from Great Britain (GB) to NI, you must submit your Supplementary Declarations no later than the tenth calendar day of the month following the goods movement.

Where can I find my outstanding Supplementary Declarations in TSS?

You can find your outstanding Supplementary Declarations in the TSS portal by navigating to the ‘Goods Movements’ tab, then to ‘View a Goods Movement’.

Access your draft Supplementary Declarations by selecting the Type ‘Supplementary Declarations (by consignment)’, and then ‘Draft SUP Declarations’. This will list all Supplementary Declarations in draft format that you will need to complete.

You can also track the ‘Post-movement to-dos’ tab at the top of the page, which shows you how many Supplementary Declarations you have in each status. By clicking on any of the tabs, you will see the list of declarations in that status.

How to submit Supplementary Declarations

Once you have found the Supplementary Declarations you need to complete, you can open them by clicking on the ‘SUP’ number. TSS will have automatically populated several fields from the data provided on the Entry Summary Declaration and Simplified Frontier Declaration.

By clicking on the ‘Previous Movement Information’ tab at the top of the form, you can see the Entry Summary Declaration and Simplified Frontier Declaration that the Supplementary Declaration is associated with, as well as the arrival details. This information will help you understand to what movement the declaration relates.

You then need to complete the fields on the Supplementary Declaration using the commercial information you have for the goods.

Find step-by-step guidance on completing the Supplementary Declaration in the Supplementary Declaration: Step-by-step guide on NICTA.

How can I convert my Supplementary Declaration to an Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI)?

If you have a UK Internal Market Scheme (UKIMS) authorisation and want to complete and submit an Internal Market Movement Information (IMMI) instead of a Supplementary Declaration for your ‘not at risk’ goods, you can use the ‘Convert to IMMI’ button at the bottom of eligible Supplementary Declarations.

The TSS Supplementary Declaration conversion to Internal Market Movements Information (IMMI) Guide outlines when movements are eligible and how to convert them into an IMMI in the TSS Portal.

Check your Post-Movement status on Company Profile

You can also track the status of your Supplementary Declarations and post-movement IMMIs in your Company Profile, via the ‘Post-Movement Submission Status’ section.

The Post-Movement Submission status provides you with an up-to-date summary of your TSS account and whether you have any outstanding or overdue declarations. A Supplementary Declaration will remain outstanding until it has a status of ‘Closed’. Any declarations in ‘Draft’, ‘Trader input required’ or ‘Pending Payment’ will count as an outstanding declaration.

NICTA made simple

If you are new to TSS, the Northern Ireland Customs and Trade Academy (NICTA) provides clear, practical advice and resources to help you understand the terminology and processes involved in moving goods to and from NI using the TSS Portal.

For example, the Jargon Buster provides a comprehensive list and brief explanations of key customs terms, acronyms and phrases in plain English. It allows you to quickly check the meaning of customs terminology, so that you can familiarise yourself with it.

The NICTA Guide Directory brings together a wide range of step-by-step guides and reference materials. These guides cover common scenarios and processes, helping you to quickly find the correct information without having to search across multiple platforms.

To support ongoing learning, NICTA runs regular webinars. These sessions explore important topics in more depth, provide updates and include practical examples. They’re a useful way to hear directly from experts and stay up-to-date, and the recordings are available on NICTA: Webinars and Recordings.

Important: New CHED reference format for Northern Ireland

From 15 September 2025, all NI movements require Common Health Entry Document (CHED) references in the updated format within 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):

CHED references should use a letter-number format with three ‘.’ characters. For example, live animal movements use document code ‘C640’ as ‘CHEDA.XI.yyyy.nnnnnnn’, where ‘yyyy’ indicates the licence year (e.g., 2026). The reference is available on TRACES NT and can be pasted into the TSS Portal at the goods item level.

Example: ‘CHEDA.XI.2026.1234567’

For NIRMS movements:

Movements from GB to NI under NIRMS must use the format ‘GBCHDyyyy.NIRMS’, where ‘yyyy’ is the year of movement (e.g., 2026).

Example: ‘GBCHD2026.NIRMS’

Further guidance

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.

Use of Meursing codes when moving ‘not at risk’ goods under UKIMS

If you are a UK Internal Market Scheme (UKIMS) authorised trader, using your authorisation to move ‘not at risk’ goods from GB to NI, you can use the code 7000 for all commodities requiring a Meursing code.

What are Meursing codes?

Meursing codes are additional codes that describe the composition of goods containing certain types of milk and sugars and apply specific duties to these goods, depending on the code.

The appropriate code should still be used for declaring ‘at risk’ movements from GB to NI, as well as all Rest of World (RoW) movements to NI, and can be identified via the Look up Meursing code on GOV.UK.