EU to impose €3 customs fee on small parcels from China starting July 2026

The European Union Council approved new rules in February to end the duty‑free treatment of small parcels valued under €150 that enter the bloc, most of which come from China. From 1 July 2026 a temporary uniform customs fee of €3 will be charged for each product category in a shipment, and the charge will remain in place until 1 July 2028.

The fee is calculated per item type – a package containing a silk blouse and two wool blouses, for example, would be assessed three separate fees, totalling €9. When the European customs‑information centre becomes operational (expected by 2028), the temporary charge will be replaced by the standard customs regime. The measure is intended to boost the EU budget and national public finances, as customs duties are a traditional source of revenue. In 2024 the EU recorded 4.6 billion small parcels, 91 % of which originated in China, highlighting the rapid growth of e‑commerce and the need to address market distortion.