EU €3 Import Duty: Falling Parcel Counts and the Proposed €2 Handling Fee

Europe’s new charge on low-value imports was followed by a sharp decline in reported small-parcel arrivals. The early figures are significant for direct-shipping platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress, but they measure parcels—not the total weight or value of goods reaching EU buyers. 2117

What changed in July and August?

On July 1, 2026, the EU ended its customs-duty exemption for qualifying consignments valued at up to €150 and introduced a temporary €3 duty. The charge applies by item type or customs classification within a shipment, rather than as a single flat charge on the whole parcel. A parcel with goods in three separate classifications can therefore incur three €3 charges. 317

French customs figures cited by France’s economy ministry in late August suggested that low-value parcel imports had fallen 30–40% since the change. This is an early estimate of parcel flows across the EU, not a measured 30–40% fall in all Chinese exports to Europe. The timing is consistent with the duty affecting direct shipments, but the figures alone cannot establish how much of the decline it caused. 21

Why parcel counts and cargo-weight estimates can differ

A parcel count records the number of consignments; an air-cargo weight estimate records their mass. If sellers combine purchases into fewer, heavier shipments, the parcel count can fall more sharply than the weight carried. The measures may also cover different routes and periods. Without matched data, neither should be presented as the percentage change in all goods arriving from China.

Consolidation may change customs costs, but it is not a universal escape from the duty: the €3 charge is tied to the classifications of goods in a consignment, not merely to whether those goods fit in one box. 17

What would an additional €2 handling fee mean?

The EU’s separate handling fee is intended to help cover the cost of processing growing numbers of direct-to-consumer imports. The Council backed the customs overhaul in early September, and the European Parliament approved it on September 16. The rules call for the fee to take effect by November 1, 2026, while leaving its exact amount for the European Commission to determine. A €2-per-good rate was under discussion in September; it should not be treated as a settled charge. 7113

If the rate were set at €2, one directly imported good falling under one €3 customs classification would face €5 in combined duty and handling fee. That is an illustration of charges imposed on businesses, not a prediction that every shopper’s checkout price will rise by €5. Multiple goods and classifications could produce a different total, depending on the final handling-fee rules. 3113

Higher direct-import costs could lead platforms to absorb charges, raise prices, combine orders or hold more inventory inside the EU. They could also improve the relative position of EU-based retailers. Those are potential business responses, not measured outcomes for Temu, Shein or AliExpress. The UK is pursuing its own change to low-value duty relief, with arrangements expected in October 2028; whether trade shifts there in the meantime remains uncertain. 8

What happens in July 2028?

The temporary €3 rate is scheduled to end on July 1, 2028. Normal customs tariffs are due to apply afterward according to the type of good; low-value imports are not scheduled to become duty-free again. 3