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May 31, 2021

Gerlach clears an engine worth 30 million US dollars through the transit procedure

An exciting week lies behind the team of Gerlach Customs at the Frankfurt office in Germany. The customs experts there cleared a turbojet engine for a well-known European aircraft manufacturer on its way from the USA via Germany to Belgium. A special procedure for high-value goods, in which the Frankfurt team specialises, was used.


A jet engine worth 30 million US dollars was cleared through customs by Gerlach in Frankfurt.
A jet engine worth 30 million US dollars was cleared through customs by Gerlach in Frankfurt.

When goods worth many millions of US dollars are transported, it is important to have competent partners at your side. The Gerlach team in Frankfurt/Main in Germany is already used to customs clearance for high-value goods and thus also created the T1 procedure in Germany for this special cargo.

โ€œWith our Gerlach location in Frankfurt, we are very familiar with the customs needs of air cargo due to our proximity to Frankfurt Airport. In many cases it is a matter of transit procedures, as the goods are transported from Frankfurt to other European countries, โ€ says Wolfgang Reis, Branch Manager Gerlach Frankfurt.

It was precisely this experience that was in demand: a well-known freight carrier (Road Feeder Service / air freight substitute service) in Frankfurt/Main transported a turbo-jet engine from the USA via Germany to Belgium. Value of the goods: 30 million US dollars. As the freight forwarder wanted an experienced and trustworthy customs service provider at its side, it contacted the Gerlach experts, who opened the T1 document in Germany.

โ€œWe were very pleased that our customer trusted our expertise for this special assignment. Even though we are familiar with the processes for transit procedures, it is complex for this high value of goods, as guarantees and securities are involved โ€“ specifically in the amount of 4.9 million euros,โ€ said Felix Zeller, customs declarant at Gerlach in Frankfurt.

โ€œWe coordinated with the customer and stood very closely by their side as a customs service provider during this transport. Orders like this make you realise once again how exciting it is to work in logistics and customs. We experience and enable global trade,โ€ says Wolfgang Reis.

If you need support with your customs matters, contact us! We are happy to help.

Special responsibility for Gerlach customs declarants
Felix Zeller and Wolfgang Reis (from left) were responsible for the customs clearance of the valuable transport.

T1/TRANSIT PROCEDURE โ€“ IN BRIEF:

If third-country goods, such as in this case from the USA, arrive in a country of the EU Customs Union, such as here in Germany, and are further loaded and transported, a T1 document must be opened in the country in which the goods arrived. It is very important that the T1 document is closed again in the country of destination, in this case Belgium

This article was written by:

Daniel Mahnken

Corporate Communication

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