EU’s new levy on parcels kicks in

The EU introduced a €2 handling fee for packages sent directly to consumers from outside its 27-member bloc. It began on Nov 1, just before the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas shopping rushes. The fee applies regardless of a parcel’s value.

The charge is intended to help cover the work of customs authorities. It is separate from the €3 duty already imposed in July on small packages worth less than €150. Together, the measures make low-value imports more expensive to process and are designed to address their rapid growth.

The change matters because nearly six billion small packages entered the EU in 2025. About 93 per cent came from China, often through AliExpress and Temu. The €2 levy is permanent, while the €3 duty is temporary until Jul 1, 2028. The EU will review the levy every two years.

A parcel handling fee is a charge linked to the work of receiving, checking, and processing an incoming package. The EU says its €2 fee will compensate customs authorities for the effort required to handle the growing number of small parcels. It applies to each type of item in a package, regardless of value.

A customs duty is different. It is a charge imposed on imported goods, and the article identifies a €3 duty on small packages worth less than €150. Thus, a parcel covered by both measures can face the duty and the handling fee. The fee relates to customs operations, while the duty is connected to the imported parcel.

This distinction matters because the two charges have different time frames. The €2 handling fee is permanent and must be reviewed every two years. The €3 low-value duty is temporary and lasts until Jul 1, 2028.

The EU calculates the handling fee by counting the different types of items inside a package. Each type attracts a €2 charge. This means the number of categories matters more than the total number of individual products. The rule applies to packages sent directly to consumers from outside the EU.

The article gives two examples. A package containing 10 T-shirts has one item type, so its handling fee is €2. A package containing two hats and 10 T-shirts has two item types, so the fee is €4. The calculation is separate from the parcel’s value and from the €3 duty on qualifying low-value packages.

This structure could make mixed-item orders more expensive to process. The fee began Nov 1 and comes during the seasonal shopping rush. Retailers and sellers can add the €2 charge before a sale, although consumers are not expected to pay it directly under the EU’s position.

The flow of small parcels into the EU is enormous. Official data cited in the article shows that nearly six billion entered the bloc during 2025. These packages are often bought online and sent directly to European consumers from sellers outside the EU.

China dominates this flow. Around 93 per cent of the cheap packages arriving in Europe came from China, usually through popular Asian platforms such as AliExpress and Temu. The figures help explain why customs authorities face rising workloads and costs as parcel numbers multiply.

The EU introduced the €2 handling fee partly to compensate customs authorities for that effort. It also cites concerns about unsafe non-EU products, including toys that violate EU rules. Imports fell by around 64 per cent after the €3 duty began in July, though officials say it is too early to draw firm conclusions.

The EU says European consumers are not expected to pay the handling fee directly. Instead, online retailers and sellers can add a €2 charge before a sale. This places the immediate responsibility on businesses that send or arrange the parcels, though sellers may reflect the cost in their pricing.

The European Consumer Organisation warned that some platforms might pass the new cost to consumers during the final stages of purchase. EU law requires the full price to be shown upfront. Therefore, adding the fee only at checkout would be illegal, according to the organisation.

The issue matters because the levy begins during major shopping periods, including Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas. The handling fee is charged by item type and comes on top of the €3 duty for small packages under €150. The article does not say how widely sellers will absorb or display the cost.

The EU’s €3 duty on small parcels worth less than €150 is temporary. It will remain in place until Jul 1, 2028. This differs from the €2 handling fee, which is described as a permanent levy linked to the cost of customs operations.

After the temporary duty ends, the EU will apply standard, product-specific customs tariffs. The article does not give the rates or explain how they will differ across goods. It only states that the temporary low-value arrangement will be replaced by the normal tariff system from that date.

The shift means the treatment of low-value parcels will change again in 2028. Meanwhile, the €2 handling fee will continue. The EU must assess that fee every two years to ensure it remains proportional to the cost of customs operations in the bloc.

Governments charge tariffs and customs fees for several established reasons. Tariffs raise the cost of imported goods, while customs fees can help pay for the work of processing shipments. The article specifically says the EU’s €2 handling fee will compensate customs authorities as small parcels increase their workload and costs.

Customs authorities protect borders by checking incoming goods and enforcing import requirements. According to the article, this includes dealing with illegal imports and unsafe non-EU products, such as toys that violate EU rules. Their checks help prevent goods that fail the bloc’s requirements from reaching consumers.

The scale of online parcels has made this work harder. Nearly six billion small packages entered the EU in 2025, with 93 per cent of cheap packages coming from China. The new fee supports customs operations, while the EU’s parcel duties and future tariffs change the financial rules for imports.