A €3 fee also came into force in July, leading to a 60% drop in small parcel imports over three months. The new rules aim to counter imports from Chinese platforms, whose low prices threaten European retailers.
The new €2 fee, which comes into force on 1 November, will apply to all packages, regardless of their value, and will cover customs handling costs. It comes in addition to the €3 duty.
In 2024, 91% of those shipments came from China, posing fierce competition for European retailers.
So we’re not going to care about the remaining 9%?
For example, a package valued at €10 containing a pen, notebook and key ring purchased online and sent from outside the EU contains three different items. Since 1 July 2026, the €3 Customs Duty charge applies to each item, resulting in Customs Duty of €9, plus any applicable VAT. From 1 November 2026, an additional Union Handling Fee of €2 per item will also apply, adding €6. The total charges will therefore be €15, plus any applicable VAT.
And example of what’s in those 9% (as of 2024):
However, eCommerce goods sent from Great Britain to Ireland will be liable to Customs Duty, VAT and from 1 November, the Union Handling Fee.
Are they containering one sort of item though? I’m ordering stuff and it takes regular shipping times from China, so it doesn’t seem like they have local stock, but I’m also not paying the surcharge. So either they’re shipping large quantities of the things I buy and storing it for next time, or they’re stuffing a couple thousand orders in a container and avoiding the individual parcel tax that way. (Or they pretend it takes 3 weeks, but actually just ship from Italy on day 18.)