German customs report surge in package clearances from China
German customs cleared more than four times as many items in 2024, as seizures of heavy weapons and marijuana soared.
"The key word here is e-commerce," Armin Rolfink, president of the German customs office, said on Tuesday.
Customs dealt with 235 million online deliveries in 2024, of which "90% come from China," said Rolfink at the presentation of the office's yearly report.
Finance Minister Lars Klinbeil said more cheap goods and counterfeit products are coming to Germany via China.
He said discussions are ongoing, including at the European level, about abolishing the existing tariff limit of €150 ($171), above which goods face import duties.
The European Commission has proposed adding a flat fee of up to €2 on packages to tackle the surging number of small deliveries from China.
The customs office is also tasked with preventing drug smuggling. While the amount of cocaine seized dropped from 39.3 metric tons in 2023 to 16.3 tons, the office confiscated 12.6 tons of marijuana, up from 8.6 tons.
Rolfink said he has "no findings" on whether the rise was linked to Germany's partial legalization of marijuana in April 2024.
Among other items seized by the customs office were 161 weapons of war, such as guided missiles, flamethrowers and rifle grenades.
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