In Brief: I am so sorry to say that I have had to close my sales to Europe and Northern Ireland due to new rules.

In Detail: The EU have brought in some new rules regarding safety, to ensure that products sold in Europe are safe and have appropriate traceability. I agree with that, and that's not an issue for my products. The issue is the fact that I am not based in the EU and I would need to also have a representative based in Europe. So, a registered office, a registered part of my business etc. I don't have that, so I would have to appoint an external one, which is where the problem lies.

The costs for this are high and beyond the profit I make selling in Europe, making it counterproductive.

As a result, I have had to suspend my sales to Europe and Northern Ireland, where these rules are now in effect.

When the VAT rules changed last year, I was able to continue selling to my lovely European customers via ETSY, who are able to handle all the tax matters, but with this new change I have had to close those down.

I am aware that I have repeat customers in Ireland and various other countries in Europe, so I am so sorry to let you down.

I will be monitoring this situation, and hoping that I can find a more cost-effective solution in the future. 

With sadness and hope,