The European Union introduced a €2 handling fee on e-commerce packages from outside the bloc on Sunday, adding to a €3 duty imposed in July on low-value imports.
The fee applies to each product category in a shipment, regardless of value. A package with 10 identical T-shirts incurs a €2 charge, while one with T-shirts and hats would cost €4. The measure targets the surge in small parcels, 93 percent of which came from China last year, straining customs authorities. Nearly six billion such packages entered the EU in 2025, according to official data .
The handling fee is permanent, while the €3 duty on packages under €150 remains temporary until July 2028. The EU will review the handling fee’s amount every two years to ensure it covers customs costs. The European Consumer Organisation warned that platforms may illegally pass costs to consumers at checkout, violating EU transparency rules .
Brussels expects the fee to fund customs operations, which have struggled with the volume of imports. Inspections found 60 percent of evaluated items violated EU rules, posing safety risks and unfair competition. The EU estimates the fee could generate €6 billion annually for its budget between 2028 and 2034, though the Commission declined to confirm the figure .
Online retailers like Temu, Shein, and AliExpress are adjusting to the new costs. AliExpress is expanding local warehouses, while Temu has offered discounts to offset fees. Shein, which generates a third of its revenue in Europe, aims to keep prices competitive. Amazon, which ships 97 percent of its EU sales from local warehouses, said few of its packages would be affected .
The fee applies to all non-EU shipments, including those from the US, UK, and Switzerland. Since July, the €3 duty has already reduced low-value imports by 64 percent, though officials caution it is too early to draw firm conclusions .
