Finland sees sharp drop in low-value e-commerce imports

Low-value e-commerce shipments from outside the EU to Finland saw a significant decline in July, dropping 76.3 percent compared to the previous year. According to Finnish Customs data, this collapse follows the removal of duty-free status for shipments valued under 150 euros.

Pauli Aalto-Setälä, Vice Chair of the Economic Affairs Committee, stated that these changes demonstrate the effectiveness of Finnish and EU measures. He noted that the decline helps level the playing field for domestic retailers who previously faced different costs regarding product safety, recycling fees, and taxes.

Data from the Confederation of Finnish Industries also shows a decrease in web traffic to Chinese marketplaces. Between January and July, visits fell by 17 percent, with a sharp 39 percent drop occurring in July alone. The decline follows legislative groundwork initiated by Minister Matias Marttinen and subsequent EU-level policy shifts aimed at regulating cheap imports.