In your customs paperwork, HMRC are looking at goods descriptions to assess the risk. The description of the goods needs to be of a high level.
Approximately 45% of all ENS entries fail because of poor descriptions*.
What is a goods description?
"This is a plain language description precise enough for customs to be able to identify the goods without reference to other documents/materials. General terms such as “consolidated”, “general cargo”, “parts” or “miscellaneous” should must not be provided. Providing an inaccurate or general description of the goods may lead to unnecessary delays, such as physical examinations of goods to ascertain their real nature." Border Force
Examples of bad and good descriptions
❌ Cars | ✅ Ford Fiesta, VW Polo... |
❌ Sanitary goods | ✅ Towels, detergents... |
❌ Clothing | ✅ Men's shirts, jackets... |
*CustomsLink compliance report - 8th October 2025
