Cyprus parcel arrivals fall by up to 35% as shoppers combine orders ahead of new EU fee
Customs figures show fewer parcels reaching Cyprus from outside the EU but little change in goods volumes, as shoppers consolidate orders before a new handling fee takes effect on November 1.
Nicosia, Cyprus. Parcel arrivals from non-EU countries have dropped by 30 to 35 per cent since a temporary €3 customs duty took effect on July 1, according to the Customs Department. Its figures indicate that shoppers are grouping more purchases into each shipment, keeping the total quantity of declared goods largely unchanged ahead of another charge on November 1.
More products in fewer shipments
Speaking to Politis, Customs Department spokesman Giorgos Constantinou reported the decline in parcels arriving from third countries. Department figures show that a shipment now contains an average of four or five declared product categories, compared with one or two previously.
The data suggest a change in ordering habits rather than a comparable reduction in demand. Many consumers appear to be consolidating purchases instead of giving up lower-priced international shopping platforms, although the figures do not establish whether their overall spending has increased or decreased.
Early figures after the duty began
Figures for the first 15 days of July, when the duty was introduced, recorded arrivals exceeding 100,000 parcels, with around 400,000 declared product categories.
Constantinou said at that time that buying through platforms including Temu and Shein continued to offer an attractive option despite the extra charge. The more recent customs figures indicate that shipment patterns have since changed, while the quantity of goods has remained broadly stable.
Additional fee from November
A €2 EU handling fee is scheduled to begin on November 1. Under the forthcoming arrangements, qualifying imports of low value will face combined customs charges totalling €5 for each distinct product category.
Earlier reporting explained that the existing €3 duty depends on the customs classification assigned to the contents, rather than being a flat charge for a parcel or a separate charge for every item.
Under those arrangements, five identical T-shirts sent together would generally generate a combined charge of €5. A shipment containing a watch, a handbag and a T-shirt could instead attract €15 if the goods are assigned to three separate tariff classifications.
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