UK. Chancellor Gordon Brown is poised to unveil plans for a +700% rise in duty free limits for transatlantic shoppers in his Budget tomorrow, according to UK tabloid newspaper The Daily Mirror.
The current allowance of just £145 could be boosted to £1,000 for products which are purchased outside the EU. In particular, this would be a significant fillip for the many Britons who have been taking advantage of the recent pound/dollar relationship with extensive shopping sprees in the US. Other regions would obviously also benefit.
A Treasury source told The Daily Mirror: “We want to see a big increase in the limit. Tourists should be able to buy a reasonable amount on shopping trips to the States without worrying about being hit by customs”¦ It would be a popular move for shoppers and would show Europe is serious about becoming more global in its outlook.”
The current duty free threshold has not been raised since 1994. It is governed by EU law, however, so Brown would need EU member states to agree to the rise.
