EU to charge handling fee on parcels from outside the bloc

A two-euro handling fee will apply from November 1 to each goods line in shipments ordered from online stores outside the European Union, regardless of the shipment’s value, ERR reports.

The fee is calculated by the number of goods lines on a customs declaration, said Kaari Lainevool, a service manager in the Estonian Tax and Customs Board’s customs arrangements department. Identical goods can be listed on one line: for example, 100 pairs of the same jeans could be declared together.

A three-euro customs duty applies to shipments worth up to 150 euros. If a shipment is declared across three goods lines, the duty would total nine euros and the new handling fee six euros. For more expensive shipments, the customs duty depends on the goods, but the two-euro handling fee will still apply to each goods line.

Tõnu Väät, head of the Estonian E-Commerce Association, said the extra cost could discourage people from buying inexpensive goods. Some Estonian retailers have already reported higher sales since a customs duty was introduced in July. Several electronics sellers, including those selling phone chargers, headphones, phone cases and screen protectors, have reported sales increases of 10 to 20 percent in recent months, Väät said.

Estonian customs data does not show how much people have reduced orders from outside the EU. The volume of small shipments declared in Estonia fell by 80 percent in July and August, according to the Tax and Customs Board. However, some parcels are cleared in other EU member states and arrive in Estonia as shipments within the bloc, so they are not included in Estonia’s customs figures.

The handling fee will cover the cost of checking shipments, including risk analysis and inspections. Depending on the online store, buyers may pay it at checkout or when the goods are imported. The customs declaration date determines whether the fee applies: it will be charged on declarations submitted on or after November 1, even for parcels ordered or delivered to Estonia before then.