- What changed and when: From 1 July 2026, the EU will impose a fixed €3 customs duty on low‑value consignments under €150, targeting direct‑to‑consumer e‑commerce imports; the measure is temporary, ahead of broader customs reform expected around 2028, with possible additional handling fees still under discussion.
- Why the EU is acting: Policymakers aim to curb the surge of duty‑free small parcels (largely from China), address concerns around unfair competition, fraud, safety, and environmental impact, and reduce regulatory asymmetry between cross‑border platforms and EU‑based sellers.
- Business impact: The €3 duty materially reshapes economics for €5–€10 items, pushing Chinese platforms toward EU warehousing and more traditional retail models, while EU retailers see mixed effects; long term, customs, product data quality, and compliance infrastructure become core sources of competitive advantage.
Source Darko Pavic
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