Overview
- Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil announced 1,500 extra customs jobs to reinforce Zoll operations as workloads grow at hubs like Leipzig/Halle.
- The €150 duty‑free allowance for small imports will be scrapped in July, with a planned €3 EU charge in the autumn that could raise prices and slow deliveries from platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress.
- Customs handled about 790 million shipments worth €1.4 trillion last year, up from 595 million in 2024, reflecting a steep rise in e‑commerce parcels.
- The Zoll reported seizing about 69 tonnes of narcotics in 2025 and opening roughly 12,600 drug investigations, with most cocaine entering by sea before moving through air and road networks.
- The government dropped plans for a new anti‑financial‑crime agency and will set up anti‑money‑laundering units within existing Zoll structures.