URGENT! In the upcoming months, CRUCIAL legal changes will be implemented across the EU, with a MAJOR impact on consumers and supply chains. These changes aim to combat fraud by foreign mail-order companies and eliminate the preferential tax treatment for EU-based merchants.
1. The duty-free threshold of EUR 22 is abolished
2. Import VAT (19 %) is to be paid by the consumer, so to speak, from the 1 cent onwards
3. Import duties additionally apply from a goods value of EUR 150 onwards
4. Discontinuation of the verbal customs declaration – there is a written declaration obligation
Consumers in the destination country may face significant cost disadvantages due to the unpreparedness and lack of transparency from many merchants. This could result in increased handling costs for all carriers and potential delays in delivery times.
Curiously, the press needs to report more about the upcoming changes or pay more attention to the topic. After all, it is estimated that around 100 million consignments with a value of less than EUR 22 are imported annually in Germany alone.
eClear offers an innovative volume-based customs solution to third-country traders across Europe with its full-service product ClearCustoms.
