Poland warns of SMS scams as EU imposes €3 duty on cheap Chinese parcels

Effective 1 July 2026, new EU customs rules require a €3 duty per item for parcels valued up to €150 that arrive from outside the Union, targeting low‑cost shipments from Asian e‑commerce platforms, especially China. An additional manipulation fee of €2‑4 per item will be added from November, and the duty is payable by the seller, not the buyer. The measures aim to protect the EU market, which in 2025 received 5.9 billion low‑value parcels, 97.9 % of import volume but only 2.1 % of value.

Policja and Poczta Polska have issued alerts about fraudsters exploiting the rule change with smishing – SMS messages that impersonate the national post or couriers and ask recipients to click links to pay alleged customs fees. The messages claim urgent payment is needed to avoid the parcel’s return and direct users to fake payment or banking pages, risking loss of funds and personal data. Authorities advise consumers to verify shipment status on official carrier websites, never click links in such texts, and report suspicious SMS to CERT Polska (8080). The warning coincides with reports that some platforms are relocating warehouses to the EU to bypass the new duties.