Canada Post has announced the temporary suspension of postal services to select European Union countries due to new customs regulations for low-value shipments. The postal service indicated that parcels bound for twelve EU nations, including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Spain, will not be accepted until further notice.
However, Canada Post will continue to receive shipments for other EU destinations where Delivered Duties Unpaid agreements, where the buyer pays the duty, are viable, such as Poland, Latvia, and Sweden. The postal service is actively working on implementing compliant solutions in the affected markets.
The European Union introduced a three-euro customs duty on parcels valued at 150 euros or less (approximately $240) from outside the bloc, effective Wednesday. This new measure aims to address the influx of low-value packages, which accounted for 97% of all imported items in the EU in 2025, totaling 5.9 billion items. The EU stated that the rule change is necessary to ensure fair competition for EU businesses, protect consumers from substandard products, combat customs fraud, and address environmental concerns related to mass shipping.
The EU emphasized that the new customs duty is temporary, with plans to implement a comprehensive tax system based on product value, origin, and tariff classification starting July 1, 2028. The United States took a similar step last August by eliminating its long-standing de minimis exemption, which allowed duty-free entry for packages under $800, citing concerns about the potential for illegal substances to enter the country through uninspected low-value packages.
Canada also maintains its own low-value package exemption for customs duties on shipments from Mexico and the U.S. valued at $150 or less.