EU Starts Charging New E-Commerce Duty for Small Packages

Starting from yesterday, July 1, the EU abolished the customs duty exemption for e-commerce packages worth less than €150. The European Commission said that the measure will help to ensure fair conditions for EU businesses and safe choices for consumers, in response to the surge of billions of low-value e-commerce goods entering the EU.

Goods coming from third countries bought online and shipped directly to consumers will now cost a €3 customs duty per item. The €150 customs duty exemption was designed for an era of occasional online purchases and less digitalised customs systems. The EC stated that this no longer fits reality, and its removal corrects a long-standing structural imbalance for EU enterprises.

It added that the measure restores fairness across importers, ensuring that EU retailers importing in bulk and large-scale non-EU online operators compete under the same regulatory conditions. European consumers are not responsible for paying the duties to the customs authorities. Duties are collected by the customs authorities from the platforms, or any other business involved in the sale and transportation of the imported goods. Consumers buying online are therefore spared from additional payment at delivery.

The rapid growth of e-commerce has also brought increased risks for consumers. A 2025 EU-wide investigation found that over 60% of low-value goods entering the EU do not comply with product requirements or safety standards. The new measure also introduces the need to declare product identifiers (PIDs). The inclusion of PIDs improves risk management and control procedures, helping to enforce prohibitions and restrictions.

The €3 rate is a transitional solution, agreed by EU Member States, as an urgent response to the challenges arising from the rapid growth of e-commerce. From July 2028, the EU Customs Data Hub will become operational, applying normal customs duties based on the goods' tariff classification, origin, and value, in accordance with existing/standard EU customs duty rules.