At DHL they are not starting to do this right now: moving packages to and from the UK. “It is not currently possible to send parcels to the UK via DHL,” the company’s customer service informed RTL Z. As of January 6 it will be possible again.
Air mail is possible
If you try to send a parcel via the website, Great Britain, the United Kingdom, or England, Scotland and Wales will not appear again in the list of countries to which you can send something.
The reason according to DHL: the lockdown in the Netherlands, which means the closing of parcel points here, especially Brexit. The problems arise mainly with transportation by road, via the canal tunnel, or with ferry services. DHL still receiving airmail.
more complicated
The service between the UK and the European Union was shut down by DHL before Christmas, mainly due to horrific congestion in Dover and other logistics centers. And they are not sure that everything will go smoothly as of January 6th. Because with the UK outside the European Union, the paperwork increases.
Royal Mail, the UK’s main postal company, has also stopped moving, but has resumed transport with the European Union after a week of inactivity. Everything gets more complicated, admits the speaker.
To the post office
Brits who send something to the European Union have to fill out customs forms, just like they send something to other parts of the world. These are the shapes CN22 or CN23. “These are available at the post office,” explains a Royal Mail spokesperson.
The recipient of the package then must pay the VAT and handling costs. In the Netherlands, PostNL will, among others, collect this. According to a spokesperson, customers have to go to a collection point or receive an email with the payment request. “The delivery man won’t collect it.”
Costs
The amount of these costs depends on the value of the goods shipped. Whoever sends it also plays a role: individuals or a company.
For products valued at € 22 from outside the EU, nothing is required. The purported clearance costs and VAT apply to everything on top of that. For products over 150 euros, import duties are also added, but it is agreed between the European Union and the United Kingdom not to impose these fees.
The Brexit experience
PostNL says, for example, they will all be the same for shipments from China or the United States. “We are working hard behind the scenes to make it go smoothly.”
However, they also admit here that it’s exciting to see how things will go in the early days and whether it will take a lot of extra workforce. We have yet to experience Brexit.
From tomorrow.
