Growth of Duty-Free Parcels: New Challenges for the Ukrainian Economy
The volume of duty-free international parcels to Ukraine increased from 23 billion hryvnias in 2022 to 92.9 billion hryvnias in 2025, indicating a significant volume of goods entering the country without certification or safety confirmation. This poses challenges for the economy and state regulators.
An investigation by Mind reveals that the system of small shipments up to 150 euros often becomes a channel for bringing goods for resale without paying taxes. In 2025 alone, 90 individuals received over 83,000 international parcels, which averages three parcels per day per person. Most of these parcels come from Chinese platforms. Examples of such goods, like children’s nightlights, are found to lack proper safety documentation, which has repeatedly led to their blocking in the USA and the EU.
In Ukraine, these goods are widely distributed through social networks and local online platforms, bypassing certification requirements. Prices for these goods on different platforms vary significantly, indicating the use of “postal gray contraband” schemes. For instance, a children’s nightlight costing 765 UAH on Rozetka is offered for 260 UAH on Instagram, which is attributed to tax evasion.
This issue becomes even more relevant amid the consideration of bill No. 15112 by the Verkhovna Rada. Its goal is to abolish the 150-euro duty-free limit and shift the responsibility for paying VAT to online platforms. Such an approach has already proven successful in the EU and the USA, and for Ukraine, it could bring up to 27 billion hryvnias in additional budget revenue.
The proposed changes will affect a significant portion of the population that uses international online orders. Passage of the bill could not only impact the volume of revenues to the state budget but also stimulate the development of transparent business conditions in the country.
| Year | Volume of Duty-Free Parcels (billion UAH) |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 23 |
| 2025 | 92.9 |
