Canada Post has announced the suspension of its services to certain European Union countries due to new customs regulations for low-value shipments. In a recent notice on its website, the postal service stated that it is not currently accepting parcels bound for twelve countries in the EU. These countries include Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Spain.
However, Canada Post will continue to receive shipments for other EU destinations where the Delivered Duties Unpaid system is feasible, such as Poland, Latvia, and Sweden. The postal service also plans to implement compliant solutions in the affected markets.
The European Union implemented a three-euro customs duty on packages worth 150 euros or less from outside the bloc starting Wednesday. This new duty replaces the previous duty-free status for low-value packages, as the EU believes the old rule no longer aligns with the current landscape of online shopping.
In 2025, the EU received 5.9 billion low-value packages, constituting 97% of all imports for the bloc. The EU highlighted concerns about undervalued or falsely declared parcels to evade customs duties, giving non-EU sellers an unfair advantage over EU businesses.
The EU stated that the new customs duty aims to promote fair competition, protect consumers, combat customs fraud, and address environmental issues related to mass shipping. This duty is temporary, with plans to transition to a taxation system based on product value, origin, and tariff classification starting July 1, 2028.
The United States also made a similar policy change last August by eliminating its long-standing de minimis exemption for packages under $800, citing concerns about undetected illegal drugs entering the country through low-value shipments.
Canada has its own exemption for low-value packages from Mexico and the U.S., where shipments valued at $150 or less are not subject to customs duties.