Since October 21, 2025, French customs have been using the new Delta I system for all import declarations.
The old Delta G system has been discontinued, and all those involved in international trade – administrations, forwarding agents, carriers, importers – have had to switch simultaneously to this new European platform.
A plainful technical transition
This changeover, imposed by the European framework, was carried out to very tight deadlines in France. Despite the colossal efforts of Customs teams, IT publishers and our own declarants, this results in some difficulties:
The switch is tricky:
- frequent slowdowns in customs and EDI systems,
- technical faults to be corrected live,
- longer processing times for goods release.
The new procedures are more complex and more detailed, which inevitably means longer processing times for our declarants. Each file requires more verifications, validations and consistency checks – precision work, often under pressure.
Impact on logistics and costs
These delays can have a knock-on effect on delivery times. We do our utmost to limit the financial impact, especially when certain batches exceed port demurrage or airport storage fees .
MATHEZ FREIGHT’s teams are in constant contact with the authorities and operators to minimize additional costs and avoid unnecessary downtime.
Thank you for your understanding
We join the Syndicat des Transitaires Méditerranée Rhône-Alpes (STMRA) in calling for everyone’s understanding and cooperation in this period of transition.
What’s new with Delta I (Import)
New features linked to the introduction of DELTA I, which replaces DELTA G, include the following:
- the H1 declaration, also known as the “import cargo customs declaration”, replaces the SAD (Single Administrative Document), a form familiar to international trade professionals.
> Find out more in our article: DELTA IE has arrived: the H1 declaration replaces the SAD. - LOCODE system is being used for precise identification of loading, unloading and inspection areas
- all operators must gradually switch to an EORI identification based on the SIREN (company level, not establishment level).
- Importers using maritime transport will have to provide loading lists with details per container (FCL or LCL), to enable their customs broker to complete declarations in full compliance (details in a forthcoming article).
And soon… Delta E for export!
The current phase concerns imports only. The next step is the transition to Delta E for exports, scheduled for December 14 , 2025, with new exit tracking processes (SDS).
Here again, MATHEZ FREIGHT teams are actively preparing for this evolution.
