Following the introduction of NCTS6 Phase 1 earlier this month, HMRC has released updated guidance to help traders understand recent changes to NCTS6 transport document codes.
The guidance is designed to support all NCTS users — including traders, agents, and declarants — and also highlights some common issues encountered when submitting IE044 (Unloading Remarks) messages.
Key changes
It is no longer possible to use Transport Document codes that were previously listed in Codelist CL754 within the Transport Document Data sections of a declaration.
Instead, these codes must now be entered as Supporting Documents, using Codelist CL213, which applies at all declaration levels.
The following document codes are affected by this change:
N235 (Container list)
N271 (Packing List)
N785 (Cargo Manifest)
N787 (Bordereau [cargo load list])
N952 (TIR Carnet)
N955 (ATA Carnet)
This adjustment brings NCTS declaration data into line with Import Control System (ICS) requirements. Declarations may be rejected if the new process is not followed.
For full details on the relevant Codelists, HMRC advises consulting the Technical Interface Specification, which provides links to the EU Commission website.
IE044 submission issues
HMRC has also identified instances where errors occur when submitting IE044 messages, particularly when the original declaration includes any of the codes listed above in the Transport Document group.
If this happens, there are two ways to address it:
Contact your NCTS Supervising Office to complete the unloading process manually, or
Update the IE044 by removing the affected codes. The message should then submit successfully, although it will be flagged with discrepancies. These can be clarified with the Supervising Office during the movement closure discussions.
The full announcement can be found HERE.
