“Delays during the holidays always have existed, but such catastrophic conditions as the port of Hamburg in 2016 and 2017 had to experience, should not be unique in Europe. Processing times of up to seven days and more than 15,000 unprocessed customs declarations are not surprising in the face of a personnel deficit of almost 30 percent at Zollamt Waltershof. Almost 200 of the roughly 580 unoccupied jobs, are not occupied. “- Quote End

Excerpt of a letter from the VHSp (Hamburg Freight Forwarders Association) addressed to the commissioner for the maritime economy of the CDU / CSU Bundestagsfraktion Mr. Rüdiger Kruse.

The reproach: “The “automated notification for customs declarations in the normal procedure “for less risky transactions of” AEOs “has been in the drawers of the Customs Administration for quite some time, but its implementation is apparently hampered by” misgivings “.

In April 2017, the Directorate-General’s Directorate-Customs (Gerneralzolldirektion) defended itself as follows:

“Extensive checks on the cash security of the IT process “ATLAS “have to be carried out before an introduction. The General Directorate customs is working intensively on a corresponding implementation. “- Quotation end

An end does not seem in sight in the foreseeable future

Our recommendation: Let your goods be transported to the inland by means of the T1 transit procedure and only then register for importation in the second step.

Author: Nicola Bernard