Overview
- EU finance ministers endorsed a temporary €3 customs duty on small parcels, taking effect on July 1, 2026, for items shipped directly from non‑EU countries to EU customers.
- The move ends the tax‑free de minimis treatment for goods under €150, with the fee applied once per parcel for each different product type and counted once for identical multiples.
- Officials cited soaring inflows of low‑value packages—4.6 billion in 2024, about 91 percent from China—along with product‑safety, fraud and waste concerns that burden customs.
- Platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress are the primary focus, with France driving the effort after heavy national volumes and recent steps including a suspension of Shein’s platform access.
- The levy will remain in place until a data‑driven customs regime is ready, targeted for 2028, while details like handling fees and national measures such as Romania’s €5 charge raise implementation questions.