Low-Value Online Imports to Finland Plunge After New EU Customs Duty

Low-value online purchases arriving in Finland from outside the European Union have fallen sharply following the introduction of a new EU customs duty, according to Finnish Customs data.

The number of imported item lines dropped by 76.3 per cent in July compared with July 2025. The figure also fell 66.5 per cent from June, marking a significant reversal after two years of strong growth in low-value e-commerce imports.

The decline came in the same month that the EU introduced a new €3 customs duty on low-value consignments worth up to €150 arriving from outside the bloc. The new system took effect on 1 July 2026, ending the previous customs-duty exemption for such goods.

The duty applies to each different category of goods in a shipment rather than simply to the parcel as a whole. For example, a package containing different types of products can incur several €3 charges depending on their customs classifications.

Before the change, goods worth €150 or less could generally enter the EU without customs duty. The exemption had become increasingly important as consumers turned to low-cost online marketplaces selling products directly from outside the EU.

Finland was among the countries particularly affected by the rapid growth in these imports. More than 50 million low-cost shipments arrived in Finland from outside the EU in 2025, representing a 69 per cent increase from the previous year. The vast majority originated in China.

Across the EU, the scale of the increase has been even more dramatic. The number of low-value items entering the bloc rose from around 1.4 billion in 2022 to nearly 5.9 billion in 2025, according to the European Commission.

The EU says the new duty is intended to create fairer competition for European businesses, improve consumer safety and address the environmental impact of the rapidly growing flow of small parcels. Authorities have also raised concerns about undervaluation, customs fraud and products that do not comply with EU safety standards.

The new €3 duty is a temporary measure and is scheduled to remain in place until 1 July 2028, when the EU’s new customs data system is expected to replace it with the normal customs tariff system.

The sharp July decline in Finland suggests that the new customs rules are already having a major impact on the volume of low-value cross-border online purchases entering the country.