Finland imposes €3 customs fee on low‑value non‑EU e‑commerce parcels from July

Effective 1 July 2024, Finland will levy a €3 customs charge on each parcel from outside the EU valued at €150 or less. The fee replaces the previous rule that only shipments over €150 were subject to customs duties. Sellers or their authorised carriers must handle customs clearance for these low‑value items; private individuals can no longer clear them themselves if VAT has already been paid at the point of sale.

The measure is part of an EU-wide reform aimed at reducing the flood of cheap imports, most of which come from China via platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress. In 2023 Finnish customs recorded more than 40 million low‑value items worth about €241 million, with an average value of €5‑6 per item. Officials hope the €3 per‑item charge will curb the growth of these shipments, though no official impact estimate has been released. Customs enforcement will continue without additional resources, but authorities warned that risk‑based checks could tighten if necessary. The new fee will remain in place until at least 2028, when further adjustments to EU customs rules are planned.