The Customs Department will be moving out of the Long Room at the LF Wade International Airport starting on June 1.

The Long Room has been used to collect and process Bermuda Customs Declarations (BCDs) for goods shipped to the Island via the airport.

According to a statement from the Collector of Customs, as of next month the department will only operate the Long Room at its main office on Front Street. As a result, all Bermuda Customs Declarations, together with any associated query responses or payments, will be required to be submitted to the Hamilton Long Room starting on June 1.

The airport Long Room will stop accepting all BCDs and all payments as of 5pm on May 29. Any outstanding queries for BCDs that had been previously lodged with the airport Long Room may be dealt with at the airport Long Room on June 1 but after that, all outstanding queries must be dealt with at the Hamilton Long Room.

The statement said: “Customs is aware that this decision will impact importers who have dealt exclusively with the airport Long Room, however the decision was reached only after careful review.

“The department is endeavouring to be as efficient as possible. A review of our operations confirmed the declining use of the airport Long Room. The volume of BCDs processed through the airport Long Room is significantly less than the volume passing through the Hamilton Long Room.

“The lesser volumes of BCDs processed through the airport Long Room also results in higher associated staffing costs per BCD. The revenues generated were disproportionately less.

“The staff at the airport Long Room will be redeployed in Hamilton, where staffing levels have recently been impaired due to cost cutting measures.”