FRANKFURT (dpa-AFX) - There's one thing the International Mail Center doesn't know at the moment: boredom. Items from more than 220 countries are received, sorted and checked in the glazed DHL building at Frankfurt Airport. It's a busy time here in the run-up to Christmas.
According to press spokesman Stefan Heß, around 190 tons of mail are processed every day - roughly equivalent to the weight of a full-grown blue whale. On a normal working day, there are around 560,000 items. On the busiest days before Christmas, experience shows that more than twice as much is handled: around 1.3 million.
More of everything is needed
The company is well equipped for this volume. "It's not the first time we've done this," says Heß. More vehicles, more container trolleys, more cardboard boxes are needed to keep operations running. In addition to the 1,500 employees at the mail center, almost 350 temporary workers are also helping out.
Getting the staff to do this is a challenge. Many of the helpers are there every year. They are on duty from October to February - because the volume of mail remains high even after Christmas. The presents may have been unwrapped, but now vouchers are being redeemed or returns are being sent.
Kilometre-long hanging bag conveyor
In the building, mail has to be transported around the clock over several floors. This is done by a kilometer-long overhead bag conveyor. "The last of its kind," says Heß.
There is also technology in use that is only two to three years old. It can also be used to mechanically process consignments that do not meet Deutsche Post's shipping standards. For example, because they are not rectangular or the address is not where it should be. This is necessary because online trade has become increasingly internationalized in recent years.
Customs officers check conspicuous parcels
The customs officers at the postal center have also noticed the increasing number of online orders from other EU countries - especially at Christmas time. If a parcel is conspicuous, they order a computer to check the shipment. This is then first examined using a Rontgen device. A large proportion of the parcels that are withdrawn from circulation come from Asia, the USA or the UK.
The checks are "risk-oriented", says Isabell Gillmann, spokesperson for the main customs office in Frankfurt. Parcels from South America, for example, are specifically checked for drugs.
The officials also make unusual finds: One package once contained a wooden duck with tiger teeth inside. "Of course, you can't just order them or import them into the EU," says Gillmann. Such a find is passed on by customs officials to colleagues who are responsible for species protection.
Many products do not comply with safety regulations
During the Christmas period, an increasing number of electronic devices in particular arrive. Not all of them comply with product safety regulations. "These can be hair straighteners, for example, which can get too hot under certain circumstances," says Gillmann. In the case of a robot dog, the manufacturer's details and German instructions for use were missing. The required CE marking, with which the manufacturer states that the product complies with EU regulations, is also often missing.
Anyone ordering counterfeit branded products on the Internet must also expect the package to be confiscated by customs. While it is permitted to take a counterfeit handbag home from a vacation for private use, internet purchases are considered commercial shipments. Counterfeit clothing or perfumes could also contain substances that are not permitted and may cause allergic reactions.
Customs duties for products from a non-EU country are incurred from a goods value of 150 euros. As a rule, however, import sales tax is always due. Some courier services also charge a flat-rate service fee for the customs declaration. Many people don't think about this, says Gillmann - and suddenly the Christmas present isn't as cheap as they had hoped./fm/DP/zb