OTTAWA — Canada Post says it is suspending service to some European Union countries over new customs rules for low-value shipments.

The postal service says in a notice on its website that it’s not accepting parcels destined for a dozen countries until further notice.

They include Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain.

Effective Wednesday, the European Union is introducing a three-euro customs duty on parcels imported from outside the bloc worth up to 150 euros, or about $240.

The European Union says the new duty applies per item, based on tariff classification and not quantity.

It says many parcels are undervalued or falsely declared to avoid customs duties, and current rules give non-EU sellers an “unfair advantage” over businesses that manufacture or sell products in the European Union.

“The new measure will help create fairer competition for EU businesses, better protect consumers from unsafe products, tackle customs fraud and address environmental concerns over mass shipping,” the European Union says in a news release Tuesday.

Canada Post says it will continue accepting shipments to other EU destinations, such as Poland, Latvia and Sweden, and work to implement compliant solutions in the affected markets.