- Germany currently has two free zones, in Bremerhaven and Cuxhaven, after other free zones were abolished in Emden, Kiel, and Hamburg
- The Ministry of Finance has proposed a law to abolish the Cuxhaven free zone by 2026
- Free zones allow for duty-free handling and processing of goods
- Non-Union goods can be stored in free zones without incurring import duties
- Goods can be released into free circulation or transferred to other customs procedures within free zones
- Deliveries to free zones are treated as exports for VAT purposes
- The abolition of the Cuxhaven free zone is due to the economic inefficiency compared to administrative costs
Source: awb-international.de
Note that this post was (partially) written with the help of AI. It is always useful to review the original source material, and where needed to obtain (local) advice from a specialist.