EU customs fee rules have sharply reduced the number of low-value online purchases entering Finland from outside the European Union, with imports falling by 76.3 per cent in July compared with the same month in 2025.
The change came after a new customs charge took effect at the start of July. The measure applies to goods worth up to EUR 150 ordered from countries outside the EU. These low-cost shipments have become a major part of online shopping in Finland, particularly through Chinese ecommerce platforms.
Finnish Customs recorded a 66.5 per cent drop in low-value imported item lines in July compared with June. The fall is significant because these imports had been growing steadily for two years.
The new system introduced a customs charge of at least EUR 3 on eligible goods arriving from outside the EU.
Before the change, very cheap products could enter the EU with fewer customs costs. That helped online platforms selling low-priced goods build a strong position in European markets.
The effect is already visible in Finnish import figures.
Finnish Customs recorded more than 50 million low-cost parcels arriving from outside the EU in 2025. Most came from China, with platforms such as Temu and Shein among the major sources of these shipments.
The July figures suggest that the additional cost is changing how consumers buy these products. For some shoppers, paying a few euros in customs charges on a very cheap item may make the purchase less attractive.
China has an overwhelming share of Finland’s low-value imports.
During the first six months of 2026, Chinese shipments represented 98.5 per cent of all low-value item lines entering Finland. They also accounted for 89.9 per cent of the total value of these imports.
The average value of an item line from China was just EUR 5.03. That was far lower than the average value of goods from other major trading partners.
Imports from Britain had an average value of EUR 35.39 per item line, while goods from the United States averaged EUR 42.99.
The figures show why the new charge could have a bigger effect on products coming from China. When an item costs only a few euros, an additional EUR 3 charge represents a large increase in the final cost.
The EU customs fee is not simply a change in how parcels are processed. It could affect the business model behind some of Europe’s fastest-growing ecommerce platforms.
Many low-cost online marketplaces depend on selling large numbers of inexpensive products. A customer may be willing to buy a EUR 5 accessory, clothing item or household product because the price is low. Adding a fixed customs charge can make that same purchase considerably more expensive.
This may encourage consumers to buy several products together, order less frequently or look for similar goods from sellers located inside the EU.
The impact will also depend on how online platforms respond. Sellers may adjust prices, change shipping arrangements or increase the number of products stored in European warehouses.
The fall in July comes after a period of strong growth.
The number of low-value item lines imported into Finland increased by 46 per cent in 2025 compared with the previous year. Growth continued during the first half of 2026, when the number of imported item lines was 11 per cent higher than during the same period in 2025.
July therefore marked a clear break from the previous trend.
The change in Finland also reflects a much wider European problem. Low-cost ecommerce imports have increased rapidly across the EU as shoppers have become more comfortable ordering inexpensive goods directly from overseas sellers.
EU data show that about 1.4 billion low-value items entered the bloc in 2022. By 2025, that number had increased to 5.8 billion.
That growth has raised concerns about customs enforcement, product safety, consumer protection and the ability of European businesses to compete with extremely cheap imported goods.
Textiles were the biggest category among Finland’s low-value imports during the first six months of 2026. They represented 28.1 per cent of all such imports.
Footwear and headwear accounted for another 12.6 per cent, while plastic and rubber products made up 10.1 per cent.
These categories are commonly sold through low-cost online marketplaces, where customers can order individual clothing items, shoes, accessories and household products at relatively low prices.
The high share of these products helps explain the scale of the import growth. A single consumer order can contain several low-value products, creating a large number of individual item lines even when the total value of the shipment is small.
The 76.3 per cent drop does not mean that Finnish consumers have stopped buying from Chinese online platforms. It shows that the number of low-value imported item lines entering the country has fallen sharply since the new customs charge was introduced.
It is too early to know whether the July decline will continue at the same level.
Consumers may change their buying habits over the coming months. Online retailers may also change how they ship products into Finland and other EU markets. Some companies could move more stock into European warehouses, while others may increase prices to cover the new costs.
Finnish Customs and other European authorities will therefore have more data to examine as the new system operates for a longer period.
The Finnish figures offer an early indication of what could happen as Europe tries to manage the rapid growth of low-value imports.
The issue is bigger than customs revenue. European authorities are also concerned about whether products entering the market meet EU safety and consumer protection standards.
The huge increase in low-value parcels has made it more difficult for authorities to monitor individual shipments. It has also created pressure on customs systems that were not designed to handle billions of small online purchases each year.
European retailers face another challenge. A local business selling a product through a shop or EU-based warehouse may have higher operating costs than an overseas seller shipping very cheap goods directly to consumers.
The new customs measures are part of a wider effort to address that imbalance.
The EU is expected to consider further changes to product rules, market surveillance and consumer protection in the autumn. Those decisions could have a wider effect on ecommerce platforms, European retailers and consumers who regularly buy inexpensive goods from outside the bloc.
For now, Finland’s July figures provide one of the clearest early signs that additional costs can quickly change the flow of low-value ecommerce imports. After two years of strong growth, the direction of the market changed sharply within a single month.
