Comic Book UK is calling for Ministers to urgently seek a publishing exception to new EU customs fees to avoid major harm being done to the UK’s comic industry. The sector body, which represents companies behind iconic British characters like Judge Dredd, Dennis the Menace, Dan Dare and global hit Bunny vs Monkey, is warning that action is needed to avoid the new regime having a catastrophic impact on the UK’s comic industry.
Since 1 July the EU has implemented a flat customs charge of €3 on all items sent to EU customers with a value less than €150. This means that additional costs are being applied to every comic and graphic novel sold individually to EU readers. With titles like The Beano, 2000 AD and The Phoenix being sent to thousands of EU subscribers every week, this means that UK comic publishers are immediately being hit with the prospect of hundreds of thousands of pounds of additional costs just to keep servicing existing customers. Similarly, smaller publishers and independent creators that rely on direct sales to global readers are having to contend with the impact that the new fees will have on already thin profit margins.
Just a few days after being implemented, the new EU customs regime is already having an impact on the UK comic industry:
- Several major comic publishers have been forced to suspend subscriptions to European customers, losing thousands of pounds of monthly revenue as a result;
- Others have made the difficult decision to move the printing and fulfillment of comics for EU readers to European suppliers, meaning costs increase and British firms lose business;
- The sustainability of smaller publishers that specialise in direct to consumer international sales is being put at risk as they wrestle with increased costs and the potential loss of sales;
- Independent comic creators who rely on direct to reader sales of self-published work face an immediate loss of income as EU sales decline in the face of the increased prices needed to cover the customs fees.
Mark Fuller, Chief Executive of Comic Book UK, said:
“Fees intended to guard the EU market from being flooded with cheap tat are having the unintended consequence of damaging one of the most celebrated parts of the UK’s creative sector. Every week, comics created by talented British writers and artists, featuring iconic characters, are enjoyed by tens of thousands of readers across the EU. This brings huge benefits to the UK economy and showcases our outstanding creativity to the world.
“The new EU customs regime puts this at risk and could have existential consequences for the UK comic industry. No one wants to see publishers go under or creatives lose out on jobs, so we implore Ministers to do all in their power to encourage the EU to change tact.”
In response to the damage being done by the EU tariffs, Comic Book UK is echoing the calls that have been made by the wider publishing sector for the Government to seek an exemption for books and magazines from the flat EU customs charge. This would be in keeping with the 1950 UNESCO Florence Agreement, which recognises that reading material should travel freely across borders untrammeled by taxation or protectionist barriers.
Mark Fuller added:
“The EU’s new customs fees were never intended to hit high-quality creative exports like British comics, so the Government would be on very solid ground in making the case for change. Putting in place an exemption for published material would allow the EU to achieve its aims without running contrary to long-standing commitments not to block the free flow of reading material. We hope that Ministers are making this case as powerfully as they can to European partners.”
