Newsroom
That small €3 charge on goods ordered from outside the European Union has quickly added up, bringing Cyprus Customs nearly €2 million in its first month.
The charge came into force on July 1 and applies to individual items worth up to €150 arriving from countries outside the EU. That includes many purchases made through popular international shopping platforms.
The important detail for shoppers is that the €3 is charged per item, not necessarily per parcel. So, if one package contains four separately listed items, the additional cost could reach €12.
Customs Department spokesperson George Constantinou told the Cyprus News Agency that around 650,000 items were charged during July. Those goods arrived in approximately 160,000 parcels, generating close to €2 million in revenue.
In other words, each parcel contained an average of about four items, showing how a seemingly small charge can quickly become noticeable when several products are ordered together.
Imports of low-cost packages fell slightly compared with previous months, but Customs officials say it is too early to conclude that Cypriots are cutting back on online shopping.
Some consumers may have placed extra orders before July 1 to avoid the charge, while the summer holiday season may also have contributed to the slowdown.
Constantinou said a clearer picture should emerge within three or four months. Online retailers may also respond by changing where they store and dispatch their goods, particularly if shipping from warehouses inside the EU allows customers to avoid the charge.
The Customs Department experienced some initial teething problems as its accounting systems were adjusted, but officials say collections are now running normally.
There have been no formal complaints, according to Constantinou, although Customs received questions during the first few days from shoppers unsure whether their orders would be charged.
Officials believe purchases will eventually return to previous levels because the €3 fee may not make a major difference on a single item. For bargain hunters filling their online basket, however, the final bill could tell a different story—especially when that “one parcel” contains several separate purchases.
