Enhanced Customs Inspections Forecasted for 2024, Anticipating Increased Shipments of Consumer Goods, Marijuana, and Firearms
Breaking Down Last Year's Customs: A Busy Time for Border Control
Hamburg - Customs agents had their hands full in 2024, thanks to the boom in e-commerce. As Armin Rolfink, president of the General Customs Administration, put it, "E-commerce is the name of the game." A whopping 235 million customs clearances in online retail saw a more than quadrupling increase compared to the previous year, and a staggering 90% of these packages were from China.
Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) warned of an influx of cheap goods and counterfeits coming from China. Discussions at both the European level and within Germany center around potentially abolishing the existing customs limit of 150 euros. Klingbeil advocated for strengthened action against such shipments. He remained mum on the EU Commission's consideration of a flat-rate fee of one to two euros.
Drugs: A Different Story
One of customs' primary functions is to combat drug smuggling. Surprisingly, the amount of cocaine seized sharply decreased from 39.9 to 16.3 tons compared to 2023. Klingbeil attributed this decrease to effective controls and high investigative pressure. Smugglers typically bring drugs into Europe in sea containers, and in 2024, investigators made significant finds in the ports of Hamburg and Bremerhaven.
On the flip side, customs officers seized more marijuana - the amount increased year-on-year from 8.6 to 12.6 tons - despite the partial legalization of cannabis for adults in April 2025. Rolfink insists that there's no evidence linking the legalization to the increased seizures.
Arms and Ammunition: Weapons of War Seized
Customs also works to prevent the smuggling of weapons. In 2024, they seized a considerable amount more of these weapons year-on-year: 161 pieces, a significant jump from the 19 pieces seized the previous year. The seized weapons include guided missiles, flamethrowers, and rifle grenades, among others. The report highlights two major cases involving missing transport permits that had to be obtained retroactively. Rolfink attributes the increase to thorough risk analysis by customs but was unable to provide further details on the cases.
Cracking Down on Black Work
Customs' Financial Control Schwarzarbeit unit ensures companies register their employees correctly, prevents social benefit fraud, and checks work permits for foreigners. In 2024, the unit carried out 25,274 employer checks, fewer than in 2023's 42,631 investigations. However, the number of initiated and completed procedures was only slightly below the 2023 level.
Klingbeil announced a tougher stance on criminals exploiting society. The Industry Union Bauen-Agrar-Umwelt praised this announcement in a statement. The German government aims to pass a law to modernize and digitize the fight against black work, as stated in a program presented in May 2025.
The German Customs and Finance Union raises concerns about the protective function of customs being under pressure due to the ongoing growth in responsibilities, including trade conflicts, complex sanctions, and online retail. The union's chair, Thomas Liebel, laments ongoing austerity measures affecting customs.
Insights:
- The global express delivery market saw a significant increase in China, making it the world's largest express delivery market, with over 175 billion parcels in 2024. JD.com and Meituan are two major players in the instant retail sector and are growing rapidly.
- Due to the increase in online retail and express delivery, customs authorities are likely to maintain or enhance their regulatory vigilance, involving more stringent checks and enforcement to ensure compliance with regulations and customs limits.
- JD.com and Alibaba are actively investing in rapid delivery services and food delivery, adding to the competition in the market. The Chinese government is promoting green packaging in the express delivery sector to reduce environmental impacts.
- The boom in e-commerce, with a significant increase in packages from China, led to a surge in customs clearances in online retail last year, putting the General Customs Administration under heavy pressure.
- Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil expressed concerns about the influx of cheap goods and counterfeits from China, advocating for strengthened action against such shipments.
- While customs successfully seized fewer tons of cocaine compared to the previous year, they encountered more marijuana, suggesting that the partial legalization of cannabis for adults in April 2025 might not be directly linked to the increased seizures.
- Customs also took steps to prevent the smuggling of weapons, seizing a significant amount more in 2024 than in the previous year, including guided missiles, flamethrowers, and rifle grenades.
- In the realm of personal-finance and business, the German Customs and Finance Union is concerned about the ongoing growth in responsibilities, such as trade conflicts, complex sanctions, and online retail, putting pressure on customs' protective function due to ongoing austerity measures.
- The global express delivery market saw a significant increase in China, with players like JD.com and Meituan leading the instant retail sector, while the Chinese government is promoting green packaging in the express delivery sector to reduce environmental impacts, indicating a growing intersection of technology, education-and-self-development, and general-news with the finance and lifestyle industries. Sports and weather, while not explicitly mentioned in this context, are also part of the broader landscape that impacts personal and business life, contributing to the complexity and diversity of customs work.
