Alcohol Will Not be Cheaper Online: EU

The European Union has ruled against allowing consumers to buy alcohol and tobacco products online, at lower duties from abroad. This means, imported booze and cigarettes will not be cheaper for UK citizens, when bought over the Internet, as was speculated earlier.

UK shopkeepers have expressed relief at the court decision, which would have hit them hard.
If the court had allowed import duties to be lowered on the net, most buyers would have turned into online bargain hunters. The Wine and Spirit Trade Association also said it was pleased with the court’s final decision. Moreover, had the import duty been lowered for online purchase, the EU treasury would have also suffered a loss due to the lowered import charges.

The case was brought by a Dutch Wine Club which objected to being charged duty on a lorry-load of wine delivered from France.

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