Customs to levy 30% duty on imports from UK

The Finnish Customs has decided to charge 30% duty on imports from the United Kingdom as of 1 January, as the Brexit transitional period ends on 31 December.

At the turn of the year, the United Kingdom will be a non-EU country and products from the UK need declaration from 1 January 2021 and possible taxes and customs duties must be paid for them, said a Customs press release on Tuesday.

Customers of online shops are advised not to decide on purchases merely on the basis of prices given by the shops. A rule of thumb is that customs clearance adds about 30% to the price of the purchase. This price includes the purchase price of the product, transport costs, as well as any customs duty and VAT.

If the value of the consignment exceeds 22 euros, it must undergo customs clearance and is subject to value-added tax.

Exceptions to this rule are alcohol, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, perfumes, and toilette products, which must always be cleared through Customs.

In addition to VAT, possible import duties will be levied only when the value of a consignment exceeds 150 euros.

As a special case, the EU customs legislation applies to Northern Ireland, meaning that Northern Ireland is treated as any other EU country. If the goods are delivered from Northern Ireland, they do not undergo customs clearance.

The EU and the UK concluded the negotiations on their future relationship on 24 December 2020. The agreement approval process started immediately in Finland and in the other EU member states. The EU and the UK are aiming to implement the agreement from 1 January 2021.