New customs and handling fees prompt Irish shoppers to buy locally

New customs and handling charges on low‑value imports from outside the EU are causing Irish consumers to reconsider their online shopping habits.

Since July, a flat €3 customs duty has applied to items valued at €150 or less, and from 1 November an additional €2 handling fee (plus VAT) was introduced for shipments from non‑EU countries.

According to Newstalk’s Simon Tierney, shoppers are now more likely to purchase locally or use second‑hand platforms such as Vinted, with some saying a €5 item could end up costing around €15 after the new fees.

Impact on imports from China

Tierney noted that in 2025, 5.7 billion small packages entered European homes, 90 % of them from Chinese sites like Temu and Shein. Dutch MEP Dirk Gotink reported a roughly 40 % drop in packages routed through the Netherlands and Belgium, which together account for about half of EU imports.

Gotink argued that the fees make the “trash” business model of low‑cost, often non‑compliant goods unprofitable, citing health and safety concerns with many imported items.

Source: Newstalk. Photo: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels.