WILLEMSTAD – Cpost International will introduce a €3 surcharge starting Tuesday for certain packages sent from Curaçao to countries within the European Union, following changes to the European customs system.
The postal company announced the measure in a press release, explaining that the additional charge is connected to changes in the way taxes and import costs are handled for goods entering the EU.
According to Cpost, the VAT exemption previously applicable to imported goods valued at up to €150 has been abolished. As a result, VAT is in principle payable on goods entering the European Union regardless of their value.
An exception applies to packages sent as gifts from one private individual to another when the value does not exceed €45. Cpost said the new €3 surcharge will not apply to these shipments.
The way import taxes and other charges are collected also differs between EU countries.
The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Portugal and Sweden are already using the Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) system. Under this arrangement, the sender in Curaçao pays the applicable taxes and import charges in advance rather than leaving the recipient to pay them when the package arrives.
For shipments to other EU member states, the applicable charges will for the time being continue to be collected from the recipient.
Cpost described the €3 surcharge as temporary.
According to the postal company, the European Union is working toward a new centralized customs system that is expected to become operational from July 2028. The surcharge is intended to cover the additional processing requirements during the transition to that new system.
The change means residents and businesses in Curaçao sending goods to the European Union should take the additional charge into account from Tuesday, while private gifts valued at no more than €45 remain exempt from the surcharge.