New duty on products from outside of EU drops online orders

The total number of goods items in low-value consignments ordered by Finns from outside the EU and declared to Customs in Finland dropped by 66.5% in July compared with June, said Finnish Customs on Thursday.

But the number of consignments dropped only by about 20%.

From the beginning of July 2026, all online purchases arriving from outside the EU have been subject to payment of customs duty.

At the start of July, a new €3 customs duty was imposed for each goods item in online purchases worth up to €150 when such consignments arrive from outside the EU.

Such consignments are also referred to as low-value import consignments.

Until July, payment of customs duty was only required for online purchases that cost more than 150 euros.

The total number of goods items in low-value import consignments ordered by Finns from outside the EU and declared to Customs in Finland plummeted in July to about a third of the number in June.

In July, around 1 060 000 goods items in low-value import consignments arrived in Finland, which is 66.5% less than in June.

Compared with July 2025, the number of goods items declined by 76.3%.

“By contrast, the number of low-value import consignments decreased by only about 20% in July this year compared with June. One consignment typically contains several goods items,” said senior customs officer Antti Hästbacka.

In addition, the total value of the low-value import consignments ordered by Finns from outside the EU and declared to Customs in Finland decreased by a third in July compared with June.

By contrast, the value of a goods item increased. In January–June, the average value of a goods item in a low-value import consignment was €5.51, whereas the average value in July was already €10.64.

“We will only be able to assess the overall situation more reliably in the autumn, as the period under review, from the beginning of July to date, is still too short,” said Hästbacka.

Hästbacka pointed out that the Finns’ interest in importing low-value goods may have decreased, but the steep decline in the number of goods items may also indicate that both online retailers and consumers are seeking to minimise the customs duties.

“The consumers may be grouping a greater number of similar goods in one consignment; in which case the customs duty is only charged once. Consumers may be ordering fewer consignments containing several different types of goods to avoid multiplying the customs duty payable,” said Hästbacka.

Hästbacka found it likely that sellers are also seeking to minimise customs duties by designing their customs clearance practices in a way that reduces the number of goods items.

“Sellers may have modified their IT systems so that similar goods that were previously declared as separate goods items are now declared under the same goods item,” Hästbacka added.