From 1 July next year, the EU will introduce a customs duty of three euros on orders via e-commerce websites

Brussels – The EU Council today adopted the proposal that from 1 July 2026 a fixed customs duty of three euros will start to be charged for all small parcels worth less than 150 euros that arrive in the EU from third countries.

This measure will mostly apply to shipments with products that EU residents order through e-commerce platforms such as “Temu”, “Shein” or “Alibaba”. According to the data, such shipments account for 93 percent of all small parcels that arrive in the EU from abroad each year.

With this temporary measure, which will apply until the adoption of the customs reform package, the EU is trying to deal with the unfair competition created by e-commerce platforms for EU traders, but also to strengthen measures to protect the health and safety of consumers and the environment and to prevent fraud in the sale of products over the internet.

The European Commission welcomed the adoption of the proposal, assessing that in this way the competitiveness of European businesses will be protected and the conditions for operation between e-commerce and traditional retail will be equalized.

The Commission clarifies that this decision will bridge the gap until the establishment of the EU Customs Data Hub, planned for mid-2028, whose creation is envisaged by the customs reform in the Union.

The temporary customs charge of three euros per shipment will be levied on parcels sent directly from third countries to consumers in the EU, the EC explains.

The statement adds that this measure is different from the planned “handling fee for e-commerce shipments”, for the introduction of which negotiations are ongoing. This “handling fee” is intended to compensate for the increased costs incurred by customs authorities in supervising the growing number of shipments with products ordered through e-commerce websites. In principle, this fee is planned to be introduced from November 2026, but its exact amount and date of application will be known once the EU Council and the European Parliament align their positions on this proposal.

As for Belgium, the Belgian Government has adopted an individual decision to charge a fee of two euros for shipments with ordered products through e-commerce websites. As Belgian media point out, with the entry into force of the European fixed customs duty of three euros, the fee introduced by Belgium will not be abolished, but Belgians will pay five euros for each shipment they receive from abroad. (12 December 2025)