This newsletter covers the latest operational updates on requirements and border controls for importing live animals, germinal products, products of animal origin and animal by-products into Great Britain.
In this newsletter:
STORM incident hub
HMRC System Maintenance on CDS
GOV.UK One Login enabled
Foot and Mouth Disease in Hungary
Useful contacts and information
STORM incident hub
We want to remind you that if you experience any issues with consignments stuck at the border, you can contact the STORM incident hub by emailing: Stormincidentresponse@APHA.gov.uk.
Before contacting Storm, please ensure:
The CHED is fully submitted and visible in IPAFFS.
SPS checks (as applicable) are complete.
A customs hold is visible in CDS that requires action.
You include the MRN, and all relevant CHED references
Please note the Storm inbox is not able to assist with:
CHEDs still in draft or amendment status
General or policy-related questions
Messages that do not meet these criteria may need to be redirected, which can lead to delays.
Reminders
HMRC System Maintenance on Customs Declaration Service (CDS)
HMRC have advised APHA of upcoming maintenance on their Customs Declaration Service.
“Due to scheduled maintenance on the Customs Declaration Service (CDS), the CDS service will be unavailable to all users from 9:30 pm on Saturday 27th September 2025 until 5:00 am on Sunday 28th September 2025.
Declarations submitted during this time will be processed when the service becomes available.”
Please note, the launch date for GOV.UK One Login has been postponed. We apologise for any inconvenience and will keep you informed of updates as soon as they become available.
GOV.UK One Login will soon be enabled as an alternative method for accessing your Defra Trade account.
This new sign-in option has been developed to offer a more accessible and secure way for users to access government services, featuring two-step verification for enhanced security.
If you currently use a Government Gateway account, you may continue to do so for the time being. We will notify you in advance when Government Gateway is no longer supported, at which point GOV.UK One Login will become the required method for signing in.
If you would like to know more information about the GOV.UK One Login, you can find out here.
Foot and Mouth Disease in Hungary
Following an assessment, the United Kingdom has recognised Hungary as FMD-free without vaccination. This means that the export of affected commodities from Hungary can resume, provided that all other import conditions are met and attestations in the relevant export health certificate can be certified.
Imports of animalproducts: for urgent questions about imports of animal products, including germinal products, contact the Port Health Authority or Local Authority at the Border Control Post (BCP) for the goods’ point of entry. Find the BCP and the PHA/LA contact information on this map or list.
Imports of live animals: for urgent questions about imports of live animals, contact APHA.
Imports of plants and plant products: for urgent questions regarding imports into England and Wales, contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), by email, in the first instance: phsi-importers@apha.gov.uk . Alternatively, you can contact them by telephone: +44 (0) 3000 200 301
If you need technical help with IPAFFS, please call the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) helpline on 0330 041 6999 or email APHAServiceDesk@apha.gov.uk (not 24 hours)
Sources of information
We host the APHA Business Readiness Forum – a monthly online session that keeps stakeholders up to date on the latest developments in biosecurity and trade.
