HMRC updates Customs Declaration Service Appendix 16F with

Cresthaven AnalyticsIntelligence Brief

Headline

HMRC updates Customs Declaration Service Appendix 16F with multiple ETSF location code additions and removals

Executive Summary

HMRC published an updated Appendix 16F on August 21, 2026, revising the reference list of location codes for Data Element 5/23 of the Customs Declaration Service. The update adds and removes codes for named external temporary storage facilities across Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Bottom Line

Any customs declaration submitted after August 21, 2026 that references a removed ETSF code is non-compliant at the point of Data Element 5/23 and subject to rejection. Freight forwarders, customs brokers, and importers using affected facilities carry an immediate obligation to update their declaration templates and system code libraries to reflect the current Appendix 16F. Address changes for four existing code holders create a secondary verification requirement: the code alone is insufficient if the address field in a declaration system has not been updated to match.

Key Regulatory Signals

New Facility Codes Now Active: Four codes were added in the most recent update cycle: GBAUCVTBHXXGX for XGO Logistics Ltd in Coventry, GBAUCLLBHXTOG1 for Toga Freight Services Ltd in Birmingham, GBAUIOGDOVCKT for Charles Kendall Freight Limited in Rochester, and GBAUSWLLHRZSX for SF WM UK Limited in Hounslow. Declarants using these facilities must reference the new codes in Data Element 5/23 from the date of publication.
Removed Codes Carry Immediate Declaration Risk: Multiple codes have been deactivated across this update cycle, including entries for DSV Road Limited, Bollore Logistics UK Limited, Arcese UK Ltd, and W.H. Bowker International Limited at several sites. Customs agents and importers submitting declarations that reference a removed code face rejection at the point of entry.
Address Updates Affect Existing Code Holders: The registered addresses for Trans Global Freight Management Limited, St Mark Services Limited, TABS Logistics Ltd, and Cosmotrans International Ltd have been updated in the reference list. Declarants must confirm that the code and address combination in their declaration systems matches the current Appendix 16F entry.
Northern Ireland Facilities Affected: Codes for facilities in Muckamore, County Antrim and Newtownabbey, Co Antrim were added and removed respectively in this update cycle. Operators routing goods through Northern Ireland under the UK customs framework must verify current code validity before submission.

Regulatory Delta

- No direct precedent exists for this volume of simultaneous additions, removals, and address corrections in a single Appendix 16F update. Prior cycles involved smaller batches.

- The most consequential structural change is the deactivation of codes for multiple multi-site operators, including DSV Road Limited and W.H. Bowker International Limited. This removes previously valid declaration anchors across several UK regions.

- The update operates within the post-Brexit Customs Declaration Service migration framework, where Appendix 16F serves as the live operational reference for all ETSF location declarations under the UK tariff regime.

Materiality Classification

MEDIUM — A live operational reference update that requires immediate code-library changes by customs declarants using affected external temporary storage facilities; removed codes carry a direct declaration-rejection consequence.

Intelligence Outlook

Monitor HMRC's Customs Declaration Service Appendix 16F publication page for further code additions, removals, or address corrections, which are issued on a rolling basis without a fixed schedule.