Hi Rainer Rother,

I'm sorry to hear your return package has been stuck at customs for over two months—that's an unusually long delay, and I can understand why you're frustrated.

Yes, it is absolutely possible that unpaid duties and taxes are the reason your package is stuck. The tracking location "Gounghzou City 510410075" confirms your shipment is being held by Chinese customs, and unpaid fees are one of the most common causes for such holds .

Here is the critical information you need right now:

Who pays? For international shipments, the recipient (you) is usually responsible for paying any import duties and taxes. DHL often pays these fees upfront to speed up clearance and then invoices the recipient for reimbursement .

The risk of return: This is urgent. DHL has a strict policy: if the required paperwork or payment is not received, the shipment will be returned to the sender. One DHL notice explicitly states this happens if they don't receive the necessary response within six days of their first notification . Your package has been there for over two months, meaning it is at high risk of being sent back to Germany, which would incur additional fees.

Additional fees: Beyond the duties, DHL charges clearance fees and, for shipments held this long, daily bonded storage fees (warehousing costs) that continue to accumulate until the issue is resolved .

Your immediate action plan:

Call DHL Germany immediately: Do not rely on email or waiting for a letter. Call DHL's German customer service and specifically ask for the "customs clearance department" (Zollabfertigung) . Provide them with your tracking number.

Ask the exact question: Explicitly ask: "Is the shipment on hold due to unpaid duties/taxes, or are documents missing?" DHL has direct insight into the customs log and can tell you exactly what is owed or required .

Payment and documents: If fees are due, ask how to pay them immediately (DHL usually provides a payment link). If documents are missing (e.g., proof of value, commercial invoice, or return reason), ask where to send them .

Regarding your specific situation:
Since this is a return ("Retoure") , the customs process can sometimes be more complicated because the shipment is not a standard commercial sale. Chinese customs may be scrutinizing the value or the reason for the return. However, the solution remains the same: DHL is your single point of contact. They are the only party who can pay the customs broker or provide the documents to Chinese customs to release the shipment.

Do not wait any longer. Call DHL Germany today. Two months is far beyond a normal delay, and the fees and risk of the package being sent back (or destroyed) increase every day.