EU to impose €2 fee on all packages entering the bloc as of 1 November

The new €2 handling fee is a charge on packages entering the EU market from 1 November. It is designed to cover the cost of customs controls, which have become more expensive as online shopping grows. Unlike the duty, it applies regardless of a package’s value.

The €3 duty began in July and applies to small parcels worth less than €150. It is intended to create a level playing field, according to an EU official, by ensuring that goods entering the EU pay the appropriate duty. The €3 charge is temporary and will remain until 2028.

The two charges can apply together. A qualifying low-value parcel may therefore face the €3 duty plus the €2 handling fee. The EU says the temporary duty will last until a new IT customs system becomes operational in 2028, while the handling fee covers the immediate cost of processing incoming packages.

The €2 handling fee applies to all packages entering the EU market. It does not depend on the parcel’s value, so both low-cost and higher-value shipments are covered. The fee starts on 1 November and is separate from the €3 duty on small parcels under €150.

Platforms, sellers or carriers will be responsible for paying the fee. The 27 EU member states will collect the money. This arrangement places responsibility on the businesses moving goods into the EU rather than requiring each customer to handle customs payment directly.

The broad coverage reflects the EU’s concern about the scale of e-commerce imports. Five million parcels still enter the EU market every day, even after the July duty reduced small-parcel volumes. The fee is meant to help customs authorities meet the cost of controlling this large flow of packages.

The EU receives five million parcels every day, showing the enormous scale of cross-border online shopping. These packages include the low-cost shipments that have surged through platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress.

China dominates this flow. In 2024, 91% of the shipments entering the EU came from China. That share makes Chinese imports central to the EU’s debate about customs costs, product compliance and competition for European retailers.

The scale also explains why the EU introduced additional charges. Although the €3 duty caused small-parcel imports to fall by 60% between July and September, five million parcels still arrive daily. The new €2 fee applies to every package, helping fund customs handling as authorities deal with this continuing volume.

The €3 duty had a major immediate effect on small-parcel imports. According to the European Commission, the number of these parcels entering the EU dropped by 60% between July and September, after the charge was introduced in July.

The duty applies to small parcels worth less than €150. It is intended to ensure that goods entering the EU pay the due amount of customs duty. The charge is temporary and will remain until 2028, when a new IT customs system is expected to become operational.

The fall did not end the import surge. The EU executive reported that five million parcels still enter the EU market every day. With 91% of shipments coming from China in 2024, the bloc is adding the €2 handling fee to all packages to help cover customs-control costs.

The EU says cheap imports from Chinese platforms threaten European retailers because their low prices create fierce competition. Platforms named in the article include Temu, Shein and AliExpress. The concern is not only about sales, but also about whether imported products follow EU rules.

The Commission has highlighted illegal products sold through online marketplaces. It proposed legislation requiring an economic operator in the EU to be legally responsible when goods do not comply. This would make responsibility clearer when products breach EU requirements.

The issue remains active despite the new charges. In May, the Commission fined Temu €200 million over shortcomings involving dangerous baby toys and faulty chargers. Brussels is also investigating Shein over illegal products, including child-like sex dolls. The EU’s measures therefore combine customs charges with action on product safety and compliance.

The €2 handling fee will be divided between the EU budget and the 27 member states. Three-quarters of the money collected, or 75%, will go into the EU budget. The remaining 25% will be retained by the countries that collect it.

Platforms, sellers or carriers will pay the fee, while national authorities will collect it. The charge applies to every package entering the EU, regardless of value. It is intended to cover customs-handling costs rather than function as the parcel’s regular import duty.

This division gives both levels of government a share of the revenue. The arrangement accompanies the separate €3 duty on small parcels under €150. That duty is designed to ensure a level playing field, while the €2 fee responds to the cost of controlling the huge volume of e-commerce packages.

Customs authorities generally control goods entering a market, process shipments and check whether imports meet legal requirements. In this case, the EU says e-commerce creates a disproportionate cost for customs authorities because enormous numbers of packages arrive individually.

Five million parcels enter the EU market every day. Each shipment can require customs handling and checks, even when its value is low. The article also identifies concerns about illegal products and says the Commission wants an EU economic operator to be legally responsible for non-compliance.

The €2 fee is designed to cover these control costs. It applies to every package, regardless of value, and is paid by platforms, sellers or carriers. The continuing volume explains why the EU is introducing the fee even after the €3 duty reduced small-parcel imports by 60%.