EU introduces handling fee for small parcels from non-EU countries
Published
From November, a new handling fee for small parcels from non-EU countries will be introduced in the European Union. This means that packages arriving from outside the EU will in future have to be paid for in addition to the previous costs. The measure also affects consumers in Austria who shop online with retailers outside the EU.
The fee amounts to two euros per distinct item. This means that the amount may increase depending on the contents of a shipment. For small orders with only one product, therefore, a small amount is charged; for shipments with several different items, the total rises accordingly.
The background to the new rule is above all the sharp increase in the shipping of small parcels from non-EU countries. Many of these consignments are sent directly to private customers and often arrive in large numbers in the EU. The handling fee is intended to cover the costs of inspecting and processing these shipments.
For buyers in Austria, the change means that online orders from non-EU countries may become more expensive in November. Anyone planning such purchases should take the additional fees into account when comparing prices.
Sources: newbusiness.at
More Austria news
- Austrian property funds face ongoing return pressure
- Austrians cut back on clothing and shoes as retail slows
- 51 students finish AI Engineering master at FH Technikum Wien
- FH OÖ hosts info days on 27 and 28 November at four campuses
- JKU Linz develops modular buses to cut energy and running costs
- AGES opens new high-security zoonosis lab in Mödling
- US consumer prices rise more than expected
- Finance Departments Remain Hesitant on Digitalisation and AI