Finland Planning Crackdown on Alcohol Tourism
The Finnish government is planning to limit alcohol imports from neighbors, especially Estonia.
Finnish authorities will not be able to prevent large private shipments of alcohol, but they can demand explanations for large quantities, as alcohol can only be brought across the border without a permit for private consumption, Yle News reported today.
Customs officers in Finland are already practicing such a method, but the government wants to tighten the interpretation of the rule of private consumption further. A group of 13 people were detained by officials in July last year, transporting 20,000 liters of alcoholic drinks.
Alco-tourism between Estonia and Finland has intensified in recent years due to slow economic growth, high Finnish prices due to tax rates, and the spread of low-cost retailers around the Port of Tallinn.
Currently 65 percent of Finnish personal imports of alcohol come from Estonia, around 5 million liters in pure alcohol equivalent, annually. A fourth of all beer produced in Estonia is sold in and around the Port of Tallinn, that figure is even higher for cider and long drinks.