UPDATE: The European Union has just announced a significant new customs measure: a €3 customs fee on parcels valued under €150, set to take effect on July 1, 2026. This urgent move targets e-commerce giants like Shein and Temu in a bid to protect local retailers and enhance customs controls against a flood of ultra-low-cost imports.
In a decisive step taken by EU finance ministers on Friday, this fee aims to address the overwhelming number of 4.6 billion parcels that entered the EU in 2024 alone, equivalent to more than 145 shipments every second. A staggering 91 percent of these packages originated from China, raising alarms among European retailers who argue that they face unfair competition from overseas platforms that often bypass essential EU standards.
The newly imposed fee applies to all parcels coming from outside the EU, marking a response to a significant loophole that allowed cheaper goods to flood the market without proper taxation. The fee structure is designed so that if multiple identical items, such as shirts, are shipped together, the charge applies once. However, for mixed items, the fee will be levied on each product category, raising potential costs for platforms that separate shipments.
French Economy Minister Roland Lescure heralded this decision as a “major victory for the European Union.” He emphasized that this fee is a critical stopgap while a broader framework for handling billions of incoming shipments is being developed, with additional processing fees expected to roll out by November 2026.
This fee follows the EU’s recent decision to eliminate an outdated customs duty exemption, similar to the U.S. “de minimis” rule, which had been exploited to ship vast amounts of inexpensive goods with little oversight. Customs authorities have been overwhelmed, struggling to intercept counterfeit and potentially dangerous products, further complicating the situation for local businesses.
With this new measure, EU officials are working towards a more permanent solution to regulate e-commerce imports effectively. However, they caution that the €3 fee is temporary and will remain until a comprehensive reform of the EU’s customs union is finalized, anticipated by 2028.
As this developing situation unfolds, it remains crucial for consumers and retailers alike to stay informed about how these changes may impact the availability and cost of products in the European market. The upcoming months will be pivotal as the EU seeks to balance the interests of local businesses with the realities of global commerce.
