The government is finally intervening in the volume of junk
The Finnish Commerce Federation thanks the working group for its proposed solutions to the challenges posed by low-cost online platform imports, as presented in the group’s report, and thanks the ministers for their strong support in addressing these issues. The Finnish Commerce Federation considers increasing the responsibility of online platforms to be the most effective proposed solution. It is essential to implement the proposed measures quickly.
In 2025, 40.5 million small parcels arrived in Finland from outside the EU, 98.5 per cent of which came from China. The volume of consignments increased by 46 per cent from the previous year.*
The volume of junk poses serious challenges for the European internal market, distorts competition between companies, jeopardises consumer safety and makes the implementation of the circular economy more difficult. The problems affect the entire society as we lose tax revenue and, ultimately, jobs. Last year, 8,000 jobs were lost in the retail sector in Finland, so urgent measures are needed.
Today, the working group that sought solutions for the problems of cheap imports based on online platforms presented its report to Minister of Employment Matias Marttinen and Minister of Climate and the Environment Sari Multala. At the press conference, the ministers strongly supported the solution that online platforms should be given the same responsibility for product safety and other obligations as commerce in Finland. This must be implemented at the EU level and requires Finland to have an active influence.
In addition to the responsibility of platforms, several solutions proposed by the Finnish Commerce Federation have been highlighted in the report, such as the national market surveillance project, the collection of recycling costs and other producer responsibility fees and setting up a working group to monitor the situation of cheap imports and respond to challenges.
“The Finnish Commerce Federation thanks the working group for the extensive examination of the problem and the comprehensive proposed solutions. The national legislative work proposed by the ministers must be started immediately and strong EU influencing must be continued in order to ensure the same rules,” says Kari Luoto, Managing Director of the Finnish Commerce Federation.
For further information, please contact: Kari Luoto, Managing Director, Finnish Commerce Federation, kari.luoto@kauppa.fi, tel. +358 400 688 708.
The Finnish Commerce Federation has published a brochure on the problems caused by distance selling outside the EU and the proposed solutions (in Finnish):
*Customs’ statistics: https://tilastot.tulli.fi/ajankohtaista-tilastoista/eun_ulkopuolinen_etamyynti