A writer recently encountered difficulties when sending a parcel to Ireland, highlighting ongoing complications in cross-border mail services post-Brexit. The parcel, which included a CN22 sticker with a declared value of £0.00, was rejected and returned to the sender after three weeks without explanation. This underscores the challenges faced by individuals and businesses in accurately navigating the complex customs procedures that have emerged since Brexit.
An Post, Ireland's national postal service, requires precise data on customs labels to facilitate electronic customs clearance. Royal Mail's international shipping guide advises against declaring a parcel's value as zero or a negligible amount, such as £0.01. Customs authorities may return packages if the declared value appears unrealistically low or does not reflect the true cost of the items inside. The writer lodged a complaint with Royal Mail and received an apology along with a refund for the inconvenience.
However, An Post did not respond to the writer’s complaint submitted through their online process. Staff at the writer's local post office mentioned that similar issues have persisted for months. Experts attribute these delays and complications to Brexit, which significantly impacted the flow of mail across the Irish Sea.
Since Brexit, parcels from Great Britain now pass through Irish Customs, resulting in a spike in processing volume. An Post previously handled approximately 10 million parcels annually from non-EU countries. However, they now manage 16 million parcels originating from Great Britain. These changes have created bottlenecks and increased scrutiny of parcels entering Ireland.
Moreover, gifts valued above £37 (€45) are now subjected to VAT and clearance fees, adding another layer of complexity to cross-border shipping. Experts point out that many parcels still arrive with inadequate, incorrect, or missing data, even several years after Brexit took effect.