Customs increases controls of CHED documents

A CHED document is required for e.g. animals, plants and feed imported to the territory of the EU, and for animal products, plant products and wood products. CHED documents are submitted to the TRACES system maintained by the Commission for monitoring and tracking goods that are brought to EU territory.

As of 2 September 2023, Customs has requested customers to provide the CHED number with a separate document code in customs declarations. Furthermore, the line item number for the goods that is displayed in the CHED document must be included in the customs declaration.

More automated CHED document controls

Customs has started automated controls on CHED-PP documents and CHED-D documents. Customs now adds automated controls on all CHED documents and certificates of inspection (COI). There are no changes to providing a CHED or a COI in a customs declaration. You can find instructions for example in our customer notice (3 January 2024) or on our website.

We will increase automated controls as of 25 May 2024. If CHED document details are provided incorrectly or are insufficient, import declarations cannot be processed until the information is corrected.

Note the following if your shipment contains several goods items and CHED documents or COI certificates

• You must indicate a number of items corresponding to the declared number of CHED documents or COI certificates. 
  
  For example: You are importing six containers of organically produced oranges. Each container has its own COI and CHED-PP documentation. In your customs declaration, you should declare each container as a separate item. Therefore, your customs declaration must indicate six items even though the commodity code and goods description for the import goods are compatible.
   
• The customs declaration must contain as many goods items as line item numbers you have provided in the CHED. For example, herbs can be entered with the same commodity code, that is, under the same goods item in the declaration. However, if you have entered the herbs on two different lines in the CHED, you must enter the herbs on two different goods items also in the customs declaration.

Additional information
Customs increases automated controls of CHEDs – ensure that the CHED is entered correctly in the customs declaration (customer notice, 3 January 2024)
In September 2023, there will be changes to how Common Health Entry Documents (CHED) are provided in import declarations (customer notice, 31 August 2023)
Declaring restrictions, preferential treatment and anti-dumping duties
Importing plants and plant products from outside the EU (Ruokavirasto.fi)
Timber imports from outside the EU (Ruokavirasto.fi)
yritysneuvonta(at)tulli.fi