Etsy to Facilitate Great Britain Sellers in Declining Northern Ireland Orders

The online marketplace Etsy has announced its intention to enable sellers located in Great Britain to cease sales to Northern Ireland, aligning with practices adopted by other e-commerce platforms. Recently implemented EU regulations necessitate that small businesses based in Great Britain adhere to more rigorous criteria when selling products to either Northern Ireland or the European Union. In response, certain platforms, including eBay, have granted sellers in Great Britain the ability to decline orders destined for Northern Ireland. Etsy has indicated its plan to implement a similar measure early next year, following appeals from Great Britain-based sellers. An update to Etsy’s seller handbook stated: “We are actively looking into a solution for sellers who wish to discontinue offering their items to Northern Ireland buyers.” It further added: “We will provide an update on timing by December 31, 2024.” Folksy, another platform, has modified its delivery regions such that the United Kingdom no longer encompasses Northern Ireland. Its designated Europe delivery region now includes both the EU and Northern Ireland. The European Union’s General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR) became effective last week. This regulation is applicable in Northern Ireland because the Windsor Framework ensures the region remains, in essence, part of the EU’s single market for goods. The GPSR serves to update existing regulations, acknowledging the expansion of online commerce and aiming to provide enhanced safeguards for consumers. A key requirement of this regulation is the presence of a “responsible person,” functioning as a compliance agent, located within the EU or Northern Ireland. This requirement presents a specific difficulty for small businesses in Great Britain that engage in direct sales to consumers and lack a physical presence in either the EU or Northern Ireland. Etsy’s seller handbook issues a warning that should it receive notification from an authority regarding a product’s non-compliance with GPSR, it will undertake suitable measures, “which may include removing your listing and/or suspending your account.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external sites. Further information regarding our approach to external linking is available.