PostNL reported that the number of international parcels it handled, including parcels from Asian online retailers such as Shein and Temu, fell by nearly 32 percent in the third quarter compared with a year earlier. The company attributed the decline to stricter European customs and e-commerce rules for goods from outside the EU that took effect on 1 July, which made purchases from foreign online shops more expensive.

PostNL also continues to seek permission to deliver letters in the Netherlands within three working days.