The Automated Tariff and Local Customs Clearance System, ATLAS for short, is a pioneering IT procedure developed by the Federal Ministry of Finance for the German customs administration. It enables largely automated clearance and monitoring of cross-border goods traffic, which leads to an increase in efficiency and acceleration of customs processing.

Customs declarations are recorded electronically in ATLAS and transmitted to the responsible customs offices. These declarations are made by the participants in the system, which include companies that import or export goods, for example. Electronic recording and transmission not only reduces the manual workload, but also enables faster processing by the customs authorities.

A key component of ATLAS is electronic communication between the parties involved. Once the customs declaration has been submitted, the declarant also receives the decision of the customs office and the notification of import duties or other relevant fees electronically. This speeds up the flow of information and increases the transparency of the customs clearance process.

The ATLAS system helps to increase security in the international movement of goods, as it enables shipments to be monitored efficiently and, if necessary, suspicious goods to be identified. In addition, it enables effective control and compliance with customs regulations and thus helps to avoid trade conflicts.

By automating and digitizing customs clearance, ATLAS offers a wide range of benefits for companies, including faster clearance of goods, lower administrative costs and improved planning of logistics processes. It is an important tool for the smooth flow of international goods traffic and supports the competitiveness of the German economy.