The European Union (EU) has decided to tighten the crackdown on cheap orders and online purchases coming from outside the bloc: from July 1, 2026, a flat fee of 3 euros will be applied to each small package up to 150 euros sent by non-EU sellers, in a transitional measure aimed at stopping the avalanche of “low cost” shipments, which has tripled since 2022 and reached 4.6 billion packages in 2024, 90% of them coming from China.
In recent years, European customs have been dealing with a daily flow of around 12 million low-value packages, almost all purchased on platforms such as Temu, Shein or AliExpress and sent directly to end consumers. In 2024, the number of online purchases reached 4.6 billion shipments, three times more than in 2022, which made effective control of content and compliance with EU rules practically impossible.
According to Notícias ao Minuto, and according to the European Commission and the Council, the combination of gigantic volumes, systematic undervaluation of goods and weak supervision created fertile ground for products that do not meet safety, health or environmental standards, at the same time that it put downward pressure on prices and the room for maneuver of European companies, forced to respect more demanding rules and pay duties when importing in large quantities.
From the 150 euro exemption to the retirement plan for 2028
Since 1983, low-value orders, currently up to 150 euros, have been exempt from customs duties, although subject to VAT and customs declaration. The regime was created to simplify the work of customs at a time when electronic commerce practically did not exist. Today, with millions of small orders every day, the EU itself considers this exemption “outdated” and widely abused.
The background is a major reform of the European customs system, planned for 2028, based on a common data center (EU Customs Data Hub) that will make it possible to process mass information, simplify tariff codes and charge duties from the first euro on all shipments. At this stage, the 150 euro exemption will disappear permanently.
But Member States understood that waiting until 2028 would be “too late” to control a problem they consider urgent. Therefore, they agreed on a transitional mechanism, which will come into force in 2026, to start taxing low-value packages without waiting for complete reform.
Flat rate of 3 euros from July 1, 2026
According to European sources and the international press, cited by Notícias ao Minuto, the solution chosen by finance ministers was a flat fee of 3 euros on each low-value package that enters the EU from non-EU sellers. The application is scheduled for July 1, 2026, as a direct response to the explosion in online shopping for cheap parcels and pressure from European retailers, who complain of unfair competition.
In practice, the new rate will apply to goods below 150 euros sent by sellers registered in the single European VAT window for imports, the IOSS regime, which, according to the Council, covers around 93% of all online shopping flows into the EU. The objective is to achieve the bulk of operations without creating a maze of exceptions at the start-up phase.
This measure is distinct from the management fee of 2 euros per package proposed by the European Commission, designed to finance additional administrative costs. This 2 euro fee is still under discussion and has not yet been approved, so for now, what is closed is just the flat customs fee of 3 euros for this type of online shopping.
France leads hard line in online shopping against Chinese giants
Before the decision, the Twenty-Seven discussed two options: a fee proportional to the value of the merchandise or a fixed quota equal to all packages, a solution that ended up being successful and was strongly defended by France. Paris has been one of the most active capitals in responding to Chinese e-commerce giants, defending instruments that correct cost advantages that it considers “structural” and based on more permissive rules outside the EU.
The French Economy Minister, Roland Lescure, welcomed the agreement as a way for Europe to “protect its internal market, its consumers and its sovereignty”, highlighting that the country is also preparing at national level a management fee of 2 euros for these packages, which could be added to the European one if it receives the green light from the French parliament.
In Madrid, the Spanish Economy Minister, Carlos Cuerpo, had already expressed support for bringing forward the tax on low-value packages to “control the flow of these types of products”, echoing concerns shared by several Southern European partners about the pressure exerted by Asian platforms in sectors such as textiles and footwear.
Unfair competition, unsafe products and environmental footprint
The Commission’s data is clear: around 91% of packages under €150 arriving daily in the EU originate in China, with the increase being attributed to the “exponential growth” of online stores such as Temu or Shein, which have won over millions of European consumers through aggressive advertising, very low prices and ultra-fast shipping.
With this model, an important part of shipments enter practically unchecked, increasing the risk of counterfeit or unsafe products reaching the market, from uncertified toys to electrical items that do not meet European safety standards. At the same time, the current system favors micro-shipments and individual packaging, with an increased environmental impact in terms of emissions and waste.
European institutions also warn of distortion of competition: EU manufacturers and retailers comply with strict rules and pay customs duties when importing in volume, while many sellers from outside the EU are able to supply cheaper products directly to the end consumer, without paying the same “regulatory bill” and tax. The new fee aims to reduce this gap and help cover inspection costs.
What changes for consumers and commerce in online shopping
For those who buy, the change means that part of orders coming from outside the EU could become more expensive from 2026 onwards, especially in the low-value segment, where a fixed fee of 3 euros weighs more proportionally. Orders worth just a few euros can see the final price rise significantly when VAT, shipping costs and the new customs fee are added.
On the companies’ side, in particular e-commerce platforms installed in Asia, the message is clear: the model based on millions of cheap and poorly controlled packages is being reviewed. The EU hopes that some of these operators will start using warehouses within the bloc, consolidate shipments and adapt to the future customs system, in which duties and VAT will be charged “from the first euro” and with greater sharing of data with authorities.
For European retailers and manufacturers, the measure is presented as a step towards a more level playing field, even if it does not solve all problems linked to production costs, wages or scale. The transition until 2028 will be a period of adjustment for the entire logistics chain, from marketplaces to transport companies, including customs themselves, which will have to adapt IT systems and processes to the new reality.
Until then, and according to , Brussels’ declared objective is simple: to contain the avalanche of low-value packages that currently overload customs, make quality control difficult and leave European commerce to compete with products that arrive at home without paying the same bill. The 3 euro fee is just a first stop; The major reform of the European customs system arrives in 2028.
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