Those who usually place orders on platforms such as Shein, Temu or AliExpress may notice differences in the final price from this Wednesday, July 1, 2026. New customs rules come into force in the European Union that end the exemption from customs duties for orders worth less than 150 euros coming from countries outside the community. According to , the change should make these purchases more expensive and could also make the customs clearance process take longer.
Until now, orders under 150 euros coming from outside the European Union were exempt from customs duties. With the new rules, a provisional fixed fee of three euros will apply for each product category included in the order. This value is not added to other customs duties for this value range, as it now functions as the new temporary customs duty applied to these purchases.
Price depends on the categories included in the order
One of the main questions consumers have is whether the three reais fee is charged per order or per item. The answer is neither one nor the other. The value applies to each type of product declared in the customs documentation, which means that the final cost depends on the variety of items included in the same purchase.
For example, if you buy five pairs of the same flip-flops, that purchase should count as a single product category and you only pay three dollars. But if the same order includes a t-shirt, a pair of sneakers and a keyboard, each product may be classified in a different category, leading to the payment of three separate fees totaling nine euros.
The same can happen with seemingly similar items, but belonging to different categories. An order with a silk blouse and two wool blouses, for example, may involve paying six euros, if the products are classified into two different categories.
Orders worth more than 150 euros continue to be subject to the customs regime that was already in force. The new rate only applies to purchases below this value and is transitory in nature. It should continue until 2028, when a new European customs system is expected to come into operation, with duties calculated according to the type of imported product.
In most cases, the fee must be charged at the time of purchase, included in the final price presented by the platform. However, if the seller does not make this charge in advance, payment will have to be made when the order arrives in Portugal, before being delivered to the recipient.
Therefore, CTT recommends that consumers confirm, before finalizing a purchase outside the European Union, whether VAT and customs duties are already included in the value presented. If they are not, the buyer may have to pay these charges upon arrival of the order, in addition to any customs clearance costs charged by CTT.
According to Pplware, CTT has already warned of greater complexity in the customs clearance process. Therefore, in the coming weeks, there may be longer than usual delays in the delivery of international orders.
There is, however, an exception for shipments between private individuals without a commercial nature. Gifts sent by family or friends who live outside the European Union remain exempt from VAT and customs duties, as long as the value does not exceed 45 euros.
The measure was agreed by Member States in December 2025 and formally approved by the Council of the European Union in February 2026, with entry into force scheduled for July 1st. The aim is to level the playing field between European operators and non-EU platforms, which for years benefited from an exemption that did not apply in the same way to European traders.
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