The development of Cu-chabazite (CHA) catalysts, i.e. Cu-SSZ-13 and Cu-SAPO-34, represents a significant technology breakthrough for the removal of NOx by selective catalytic reduction (SCR) with ammonia. Cu-CHA catalysts show an excellent hydrothermal stability towards high temperature aging and wide active temperature windows for the ammonia SCR reaction. This work summarizes the recent progress in the development of the Cu-CHA catalysts for the NH3-SCR reaction. The state of Cu in the reaction and the preparation methods on the catalytic performance are discussed. The advances in the understanding of the reaction mechanism are reviewed. The hydrothermal stability of the typical Cu-CHA catalysts are compared. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.