Parcels sent from Britain to Ireland drop by 68%

The Republic of Ireland’s postal service says it has seen a 68% drop in parcels coming from Great Britain since Brexit.

The issue has a been exacerbated by tougher EU rules aimed at reducing tax avoidance in e-commerce.

An Post says no other EU country faces the same volume of non-EU parcels due to Ireland’s trading relationship with the UK.

It has described as "excellent news" that the UK Post Office is intending to install "the necessary IT for customs".

An Post had previously said major British brands such as M&S and River Island had worked with them to provide a simple and clear "duty paid" facility at the online checkout to pay all VAT and customs charges up front.

'No simple way'

However, it said difficulties were being experienced by small business or individual personal customers who were unaware of the "new complex data and tax requirements" which have applied from July 2021.

"Unlike parcels which are posted in bulk from large non-EU retailers who An Post can advise and assist with the new rules, An Post has no simple way of advising the personal customers or small businesses posting parcels to Ireland from outside the EU," the company said.

Northern Ireland could have faced similar difficulties under the Northern Ireland Protocol but EU rules were never implemented on GB-NI parcels due to a grace period.

The Windsor Framework effectively makes this grace period permanent, though there will be some requirements for logistics companies.

Authorised parcel operators will have to share data with the government to monitor and manage any risks of smuggling into the EU market.

That data-sharing process should be in place by September 2024.