To be exact there is always 0,80€ duty for watches but it's not carried because total duties are less than 5€ (as being zero) for item under $24. The loop hole has been there for a while. But if the value goes over $24, then everything changes.parsa wrote: ↑Wed Jan 09, 2019 10:25 pmThat loophole hasn't existed before. I doubt they have created it now, and it's probably a glitch on the calculator. BTW, last time (10/2017) I had to pay import fees, there was customs duty for the watch, VAT for the customs duty (!! this was new) and also VAT for watch and shipping. I asked from Finnish customs and they replied that from 2017 they collect customs duty from all items, no matter value.
The answer you got from Finnish customs officer is a bit weird. Books, for example, are completely duty free and has been many many years, even from countries not having any kind of preferential agreement with EU.