Cyprus collected nearly €2 million in July after introducing a new €3 customs duty on low-value online purchases, highlighting the continued volume of cross-border e-commerce entering the country.
According to Customs Department spokesperson George Constantinou, authorities processed around 160,000 parcels containing approximately 650,000 chargeable items during the first month of the measure. Based on those figures, the new duty generated an estimated €1.95 million in revenue.
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Stronger-Than-Expected Start
The result exceeded initial expectations. Authorities had previously projected the measure would raise around €15 million annually, meaning July alone accounted for roughly 13% of that estimate. However, customs officials said it is still too early to conclude, noting that some shoppers may have placed orders in June before the duty took effect, while seasonal holiday spending may also have influenced July’s figures.
How The Charge Works
Introduced across the European Union on 1 July, the duty applies to consignments valued below €150 arriving directly from countries outside the bloc. Rather than charging each parcel once, the €3 fee applies to every customs category included in a shipment, meaning a parcel containing products from three categories would incur a €9 charge.
Looking Ahead
Customs officials said the rollout was completed without major operational issues, with only minor adjustments required during the first days of implementation. They also expect shoppers to adapt to the new system over time, while retailers may increasingly shift inventory to EU-based warehouses to avoid the charge on goods shipped directly from third countries.
The measure forms part of a broader European response to the rapid growth of low-value imports from platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress. In 2025, EU customs authorities processed nearly 5.9 billion low-value items, representing almost 98% of all imported goods handled across the bloc.
