An EU ruling which will come into effect in December this year, will increase the limit on the value of imported items before import tax is due.

Currently, importing anything worth over £18 risks being charged a not insignificant amount. Although in reality this is an infrequent occurrence with most couriers, and simply marking down the value is a common naughty trick, there has always been the possibility that potential savings made by importing be nullified, and getting games earlier (or indeed at all) not always being worth the risk.

Under this law the limit will be raised to a really quite generous €150/£118. This conveniently brings most video game items within safer reach; pretty much every game, and several consoles. Even a Japanese Wii would probably scrape by!

Could this peace of mind trigger a wave of importing, and in turn improve matters locally?

Thanks to BGB. Read the ruling.