Starting April 1, 2026, the playing field for importers of organic products will change. The costs for import inspections on shipments from outside the EU, which until now were covered by the Ministry of LVVN, will be passed on directly to the importer by Skal Biocontrole. At first glance, this seems like a simple administrative change, but for importers of organic products such as coffee, nuts, and rice, it can directly impact their margins.

This shift is more than just an extra invoice at the end of the month. It forces the food and agri sector to take a magnifying glass to its own operational efficiency and total import costs. Because whoever loses control over their documentation will soon pay the price.

The financial hit: From administration to direct costs

The direct costs of the Skal inspections seem manageable at first glance: an annual system contribution of over €700. But the real financial impact lies in the new transaction fee per shipment. Starting April 1, the importer pays a standard rate of €130 per inspected Certificate of Inspection (COI).

Does an inspection fall outside office hours or on a weekend? Then the surcharges can run up to 100% (€260 per COI). Especially for importers with a broad assortment and smaller volumes (the so-called 'long-tail', such as specialty coffee, seeds, or organic wine), that €130 per document means margins can be reduced to a bare minimum. An importer with 40 shipments therefore pays a minimum of €5,200 in inspection costs per year.

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The new reality

This fixed price per document forces organic importers into a strategic trade-off. Where it might previously have been efficient to ship a small Less than Container Load (LCL) on a weekly basis, it now pays off to review purchasing strategies and see if the required number of COIs can be limited. Errors now have an immediate financial impact, for instance, when a mistake is made in the COI or upon a delayed arrival.
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Ricardo van der Linden, Customs expert Shypple:

"A mistake in an organic certificate was always frustrating and could cause delays, but now it comes with extra costs on top. If a shipment arrives at the port on a Saturday and the documentation in TRACES is incomplete or incorrect, you're not just paying Skal's 100% weekend surcharge. Demurrage and waiting costs at the terminal start stacking up too. This is due to the delays it causes in processing customs declarations, inspections and administrative handling by customs and Skal. That combination of additional costs is immediately felt in your total import expenses."

Fixing errors before arrival

The complexity of organic imports is that a missing or incorrect COI in TRACES should not be discovered only when the cargo hits the quay in Rotterdam. Yet, in practice, this still happens frequently because suppliers, agents, and importers communicate in silos. Starting April 1, you will pay the ultimate price for those communication breakdowns in the form of inspection and waiting costs.

The solution lies in centralizing the document flow. Within the Shypple platform, the supplier, the freight forwarder, and the importer collaborate in one single digital workspace. As soon as documents are uploaded, there is an immediate overview. This enables our specialized Customs team in the Netherlands to act proactively. They check whether the organic documentation and phytosanitary paperwork are complete while the vessel is still in transit. Is there a mismatch in the paperwork? It gets resolved long before the ship reaches the port, preventing blockages by the NVWA or Skal.

Predictability in a web of inspections

Importers of organic food face a complex web of authorities: regular customs, the NVWA, and now direct invoicing from Skal.

Because margins on organic products will come under pressure due to this levy, having a grip on data is crucial. A successful importer in 2026 can no longer afford to calculate the actual cost of a kilo of coffee or rice after the fact.

Within the Shypple platform, we bring all communication and documentation regarding a shipment together in one place. This helps importers gain much better visibility into their total import costs. Combined with the expertise of our Customs team, which supports the complex coordination surrounding inspections, the importer maintains full oversight. The result? Increased predictability in the supply chain and a significantly lower risk of unpleasant surprises down the line.

From cost center to control

The €130 per COI will show up on your invoice. But the real costs are visible when a shipment gets stuck. A faulty certificate discovered on arrival means the Skal surcharge, mounting demurrage, waiting time at the NVWA, and a customer waiting for their order. All at once.

That's the difference between the price you see and the price you pay.