The European Union will introduce a €2 handling fee on small parcels imported from third countries starting November 1, adding to an existing €3 levy on consignments valued under €150 that took effect in July.
The new fee applies per product category in a shipment rather than per item, meaning a parcel containing 20 T-shirts would incur a single €2 charge, while one with T-shirts, caps, and an umbrella would cost €6. The European Commission stated that online platforms, not consumers, are responsible for paying the fee and completing customs formalities, with violations potentially resulting in fines of up to 6% of a company’s annual import value.
The measure is part of a broader EU customs reform set to roll out next month, aimed at addressing the surge in low-value e-commerce shipments. In 2025, nearly 5.9 billion small consignments entered the EU, averaging over 16 million items daily, according to Commission figures. Swiss Post confirmed the fee applies to all parcels entering the EU, regardless of Switzerland’s free trade agreement with the bloc.
Polish customs data cited by local media showed that since the €3 levy was introduced in July, the number of low-value shipments from businesses to consumers in Poland fell by about 50%, with the number of individual product lines on those shipments dropping by 75%. The Commission noted it is too early to draw definitive conclusions from the initial impact.
Patrick Erny, director of the Swiss Retail Federation, downplayed the effect on Swiss retailers, calling it “minimal” due to their focus on the domestic market. However, he acknowledged that niche retailers with frequent direct deliveries to EU consumers or those selling low-cost products could face a more significant burden, as the fees represent a larger share of their turnover.
