€2.86 million in small parcel fees. 92% of parcels to Cyprus come from China.

The additional fee for purchases from outside the European Union hasn't yet stopped Cypriots from ordering cheap products online. In less than two months, over 952,000 products have arrived in the country in 243,000 small parcels, and the Cypriot customs office has collected approximately €2.86 million in new fees.

A staggering 92% of small parcels covered by the new system originated from China. This demonstrates the significant share of the Cypriot online shopping market made up of orders from Asian platforms.

2.86 million euros in less than two months

The new fee applies from 1 July 2026 and applies to goods worth up to €150 imported from outside the European Union.

From 1 July to 20 August, 952,975 products arrived in Cyprus in approximately 243,000 shipments.

The revenues of the Cyprus Customs Department amounted to approximately EUR 2.86 million at that time.

July alone brought in €1,982,715. During that month, 660,905 products arrived in the country in 160,639 shipments.

From August 1st to 20th, a further 292,070 products were recorded in 82,360 shipments. Revenue amounted to €876,210.

92% of shipments come from China

Data from the Customs Department shows that the vast majority of small shipments still come from China.

In the period covered by the latest statistics, their share was as high as 92%.

Another 4% of shipments came from the United States, 2% from the United Kingdom and the remaining 2% from other countries.

This means that nine out of ten small parcels currently arriving in Cyprus from outside the European Union are of Chinese origin.

The extra 3 euros didn't stop people from buying

There is currently no basis to conclude that the new fee has led to a significant reduction in the number of orders.

From October 2025 to June 2026, approximately 250,000–300,000 small parcels were sent to Cyprus per month.

In July and August, the figures were lower, but Customs Department spokesman Giorgos Konstantinou points out that this may not be a direct result of the new fee.

Holidays and seasonal declines in consumer activity may also have an impact.

Clearer data to assess whether residents have actually reduced their purchases from foreign online stores should appear after September.

Why can't the data be compared with previous years?

Cyprus does not have full comparable statistics for earlier years.

The Customs Department's Automated Import System began operating on September 29, 2025.

Previously, many small shipments destined for customers in Cyprus arrived on the island via other European Union countries. Therefore, they were not registered in the same way as they are now.

Without appropriate data, it is difficult to directly compare this year's results with the same period in 2025 or 2024.

How does the 3 euro fee work?

The fee is not simply charged as 3 euros for the entire package.

Applies to individual different categories of products contained in a shipment with a value of up to 150 euros.

If one order contains several products belonging to different customs categories, the additional amount may therefore be higher than 3 euros.

The new rules apply to purchases made outside the European Union and particularly affect popular orders from platforms that ship products directly from Asia.

For now, however, the latest figures show that the additional cost has not led to a sharp decline in the number of parcels reaching Cyprus.

Source: Politis / Customs Department of the Republic of Cyprus