News from customs and foreign trade

The German customs administration has published a video explaining the new ATLAS application ZELOS. ZELOS, which stands for "centralised exchange of documents, requests and statements", is optionally available to participants from Atlas Release 9.0. From Atlas Release 10.1 and AES Release 3.0, ZELOS is mandatory for all participants. You can find the link to the full video here. Source: zoll.de

On 1 July this year, the so-called exemption limit for small consignments with a low value, which is 22 euros, will be abolished. Customs declarations must then also be submitted for such consignments on import. However, a customs declaration with reduced details is possible for these consignments. In order to map this in ATLAS, the so-called IMPOST procedure is implemented in ATLAS in Germany. This article explains how this works and what alternatives are available.

The Customs Administration provides information on its website about the upcoming changes to customs clearance for postal and courier consignments from 1 July 2021. What will change? The previous value limit of 22 euros will no longer apply from 1 July 2021, meaning that an electronic customs declaration must be submitted for every import consignment. Two different options are available for this: For companies already participating in ATLAS, the new declaration type APK (declarations of postal and courier shipments with a value of up to 150 euros) will be created. For private individuals, the IPK application (Internet declaration for postal and courier consignments with a value of up to 150 euros) will be created, which will be accessible via the citizen and business customer portal. You can find the full article here. Source: zoll.de

The German customs administration informs in an ATLAS participant information that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the transitional period for the application of the REX system will be extended until 31 December 2020 for some countries. The transition period actually expired on 30.06.2020. The complete participant information is available here: Source: zoll.de

The entry into force of the new Dual-Use Regulation on 09.09.2021 brings with it some technical adjustments in ATLAS, which were implemented on 01.10.2021. New authorisation codes will be used in ATLAS Export. They replace the previous codes. A table with a comparison, as well as the complete ATLAS information, can be found here!

ATLAS Info 0232/21 (you can find the link here) informs you that new codes for the type of transaction will be used from 15 January 2022. Prepare for this in good time and implement the new transaction types in your IT. Please also note the information on the changeover date in the night from 14/01 to 15/01! This ATLAS changeover is coming early so that companies can prepare for it. In the past, changes have sometimes been communicated by the authorities a few days in advance. Further information can be found at destatis.

On 01.01.2022, the nomenclature of the harmonised system will be updated every five years. To facilitate the implementation of these changes, the WTO (World Trade Organisation) has activated the so-called "HS Tracker" on its homepage, which can be used to track the changes. You can find the link to the HS Tracker here: https://hstracker.wto.org/