Only one in five Belgians plans to order fewer packages from countries outside the European Union following the implementation of the €3 levy for non-EU parcels, according to the results of a study by ING Belgium’s Economic Research department on Wednesday.
In April, the department surveyed a representative sample of 1,000 Belgians, focusing in particular on the impact of the new €3 European tax on the import of small parcels from outside the EU.
For half of the respondents, this new European tax, which came into force on 1 July, will have no impact on their purchasing behaviour. Specifically, 37% of them state that they already buy little or never from outside the European Union, and 13% say they are prepared to bear these additional costs.
By contrast, 42% of those surveyed plan to adjust their behaviour, either by consolidating their orders, for example, or by ordering less frequently.
"Only one in five Belgians actually plans to order fewer parcels from countries outside the EU. There are, however, significant differences across age groups," said Alissa Lefebre, an economist at ING Belgium and author of the study.
Differences across ages
Among 18–24-year-olds, 71% say they will change their behaviour because of this additional tax, notably by adjusting their shopping habits – for example, by grouping their purchases to reduce costs.
Among 25–34-year-olds, too, just over half of those surveyed say they intend to change their behaviour. "Among those aged over 35, however, the majority say they do not intend to change their behaviour. This is largely because, at present, they (almost) never order products from outside the EU," Lefebre said.
Among the other findings, the study shows that four in ten Belgians say they regularly shop at budget fashion chains or online shops offering rapidly changing collections (‘fast fashion’).
At the same time, there is evidence of rather irrational use of clothing: 41% of Belgians say they have items in their wardrobes that they hardly ever wear.
The clothing sector is one of the most polluting areas of consumption, ING points out, generating around 5 million tonnes of textile waste in Europe each year (equivalent to around 12 kg per person).
Passing on costs
According to the survey, 58% of Belgians believe that buying second-hand items can help reduce the environmental impact of the clothing sector, and around 60% of them have already bought second-hand adult clothing in the last three years.
However, this practice varies considerably by age: nearly 75% of 18–24-year-olds have bought second-hand items, while older generations remain significantly less active in this area.
Since 1 July, online purchases worth less than €150 from third countries have been subject to a flat-rate tax of three euros within the European Union.
In practice, the €3 tax is not applied per parcel, but per product category within the same consignment. It is payable by the platforms, which may, however, pass on the cost to the consumer.
