AWB
AWB is a German professional services firm offering integrated tax, legal, and consulting advisory in customs law, export control, and international trade regulation through three entities, serving German and international companies engaged in cross-border trade from offices in Münster, Munich, and Hamburg.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2005
- HeadquartersMunster, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What AWB does
AWB is a German professional services firm founded in 2005 that delivers integrated tax, legal, and consulting services to companies engaged in international trade, with deep specialization in customs law, export control, sanctions law, VAT, and international trade regulation. The firm operates through three coordinated German limited liability companies: AWB Tax GmbH (tax advisory covering customs, origin and preferences, sales tax, and excise duties), AWB Law GmbH (legal advisory covering export control, prohibitions and restrictions, Incoterms, the Lieferkettengesetz, and CBAM), and AWB Consulting GmbH (process consulting, IT consulting, coaching, and proprietary IT tools for digitalizing customs and foreign trade processes). AWB complements its German and EU coverage through formal cooperations with a US law firm and a Chinese law firm, enabling cross-jurisdiction export control advisory for clients operating in or transacting with the US and China.
The firm delivers services from three German offices — Münster (headquarters), München, and Hamburg — and serves German and international enterprise clients primarily through direct consulting engagement. Revenue is generated via professional services fees (tax, legal, consulting) under a quote-based pricing model with no publicly disclosed rates. AWB markets through professional reputation, industry recognition in legal directories such as the JUVE Handbook of Commercial Law Firms 2023/2024, F.A.Z. top tax advisory rankings, and client referrals, with no evidence of paid demand-generation channels.
AWB's competitive positioning rests on a roster of frequently recommended experts including Robert Witte (export control), Matthias Merz (German, European, and US export control), Prof. Dr. Hans-Michael Wolffgang and Prof. Dr. Peter Witte (customs law), and Manuel Sieben (customs law). The IT tools offered through AWB Consulting extend the firm's value proposition beyond pure advisory by enabling clients to automate their foreign trade transactions, though there is no disclosed AI/ML component to these tools. The firm reports 11-50 employees, no external parent or holding structure, and no disclosed revenue.
AWB firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AWB
- Legal name
- AWB Tax, AWB Law und AWB Consulting GmbH
- Website
- https://awb-international.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2005
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- AWB is a German professional services firm offering integrated tax, legal, and consulting advisory in customs law, export control, and international trade regulation through three entities, serving German and international companies engaged in cross-border trade from offices in Münster, Munich, and Hamburg.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AWB industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Customs and Trade Compliance Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111), All Other Legal Services (541199)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Trade, Export Controls & Customs Compliance (BPAHAFAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Customs Valuation & Transfer Pricing (Customs) Advisory (TLACAGAD), Excise, VAT/Sales Tax & Indirect Tax Administration (BPAIADAH)
Keywords
Where AWB is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Munster
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
AWB business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Services (Tax, Legal, Consulting): AWB generates revenue through three legal entities: AWB Tax GmbH (tax advisory), AWB Law GmbH (legal advisory), and AWB Consulting GmbH (process and IT consulting). Services include customs law, export control, VAT, customs duties, international trade law, and process optimization consulting.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels1 record
AWB product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AWB provides integrated tax, legal, and consulting advisory services for companies engaged in international trade, operating through three legal entities: AWB Tax GmbH (customs, origin/preferences, VAT, excise duties), AWB Law GmbH (export control, prohibitions/restrictions, international commercial law including Incoterms, Lieferkettengesetz, CBAM), and AWB Consulting GmbH (process and IT consulting plus proprietary IT tools for automating foreign trade processes).
Product overview
AWB operates as a unified advisory firm comprising three distinct legal entities: AWB Tax GmbH (tax advisory), AWB Law GmbH (legal advisory), and AWB Consulting GmbH (consulting services). Together they provide integrated legal and tax expertise from a single source. AWB Tax handles customs, origin of goods, sales tax, and excise duties. AWB Law covers export control, prohibitions and restrictions, and international commercial law. AWB Consulting provides process consulting, IT consulting, coaching, and proprietary IT tools for digitalizing and automating customs and foreign trade processes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tax Advisory (AWB Tax GmbH)
Companies that use AWB
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
AWB technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
AWB partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- US Law Firm (for US Export Control Law)coreAWB has established a cooperation with a US-based law firm to provide comprehensive coverage of US-specific export control regulations alongside German and European export control law.
- Chinese Law Firm (for China Export Control Law)coreAWB has established a cooperation with a Chinese law firm to provide comprehensive coverage of China-specific export control regulations alongside German and European export control law.
- AWB ConsultingcoreAWB Consulting (AWB Consulting GmbH) extends AWB's portfolio with topics of digitalization and process management in customs and foreign trade law, complementing the legal and tax advisory services.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights4 records
AWB competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BDO Germany: BDO's customs, trade and indirect-tax advisory in Germany targets mid-market exporters with an integrated tax/legal/consulting model — closely mirroring AWB's three-entity positioning and mid-sized client base.
- Deloitte Germany: Deloitte's Global Trade Advisory and indirect tax services in Germany cover customs valuation, export controls, sanctions, Lieferkettengesetz and CBAM — a direct competitor for the same German exporting-client base as AWB.
- EY Germany: EY's Indirect Tax and Global Trade practice in Germany delivers customs, export-control and supply-chain advisory comparable to AWB, bundled with broader audit and consulting mandates.
- PwC Germany: PwC Germany's Customs & International Trade practice advises German corporates on customs classification, export controls, sanctions, VAT and supply-chain compliance — directly overlapping AWB's tax and customs advisory offering at a larger scale.
- KPMG Germany: KPMG's Global Trade Advisory and indirect-tax practices in Germany provide customs, export control, VAT and CBAM advisory — competing head-to-head with AWB on both regulatory depth and integrated tax/legal delivery.
- WTS Germany: WTS is a German tax-and-legal advisory group with significant customs, VAT and international trade practices serving mid-sized exporters — a closely comparable boutique-to-mid-market competitor to AWB's tax-led, cross-discipline model.
Broad incumbents
- Hengeler Mueller: Hengeler Mueller's German practice includes experienced advisors on trade, customs and sanctions matters, competing with AWB for corporates needing top-tier German legal counsel on complex export-control issues.
- Linklaters Germany: Linklaters' German offices advise on customs, export controls, sanctions and international trade law, offering a comparable regulatory specialty within a global magic-circle platform that competes with AWB for high-end mandates.
- Baker McKenzie: Baker McKenzie's Global Trade & Customs and sanctions practices serve German and multinational clients on EU, US and Chinese export controls — overlapping AWB's cross-jurisdictional export-control offering as part of a much broader full-service firm.
Emerging players
- Crowell & Moring: Crowell & Moring's International Trade and Sanctions practices actively compete in German/EU, US and adjacent markets; they are a focused specialist comparable to AWB's boutique positioning rather than a generalist.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AWB social profiles
Digital presenceAWB financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AWB leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
AWB funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AWB M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AWB
What does AWB do?
AWB provides integrated tax, legal, and consulting advisory services for companies engaged in international trade, operating through three legal entities: AWB Tax GmbH (customs, origin/preferences, VAT, excise duties), AWB Law GmbH (export control, prohibitions/restrictions, international commercial law including Incoterms, Lieferkettengesetz, CBAM), and AWB Consulting GmbH (process and IT consulting plus proprietary IT tools for automating foreign trade processes).
Is AWB a public or private company?
AWB is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was AWB founded?
AWB was founded in 2005. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is AWB based?
AWB is headquartered in Munster, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does AWB make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Services (Tax, Legal, Consulting).
Who are AWB's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BDO Germany, Deloitte Germany, EY Germany, PwC Germany, KPMG Germany and WTS Germany. Broad incumbents are Hengeler Mueller, Linklaters Germany and Baker McKenzie. Crowell & Moring is listed as an emerging player.
Does AWB have an API?
No public API is recorded for AWB.
What industry is AWB in?
AWB's product category is Customs and Trade Compliance Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAFAN, Trade, Export Controls & Customs Compliance, with a secondary code of TLACAGAD, Customs Valuation & Transfer Pricing (Customs) Advisory. Its NAICS code is 541110 and its SIC code is 8111.