Since around April, Japan Post's EMS (Express Mail Service) has been suspended for shipments to Europe. We thought it was due to the war since it coincided with the beginning of the war, but two months ago, shipping goods using DHL also requires the VAT number of the consignee to be entered.
Since we considered it possible to use Japan Post's UGX (U Global Express, prior screening and registration required) international delivery service for businesses, we thought we could resume shipments to Europe using this service, but in the process, we were unable to ship using DHL because of a change in the rules regarding VAT collection for shipments of items from outside of the EU to EU countries. However, in the process, we found out that the reason we could not ship via DHL was due to a change in the VAT collection rules for shipments from outside the EU to EU countries.
If the recipient is a corporation and has a VAT number, we may be able to ship the goods if you provide us with the VAT number.
As for deliveries to retail customers, we are currently researching the possibility of direct delivery to retail customers by obtaining an IOSS (Import OneStop Shop) or OSS (OneStop Shop) number, which was launched last year to simplify tax collection and customs screening for cross-border e-commerce transactions.
We apologize for any inconvenience and concern this may cause, and thank you for your continued patronage.
