The EU is scrapping an outdated customs duty exemption for e-commerce parcels worth less than €150. This measure will help ensure a level playing field for EU businesses and safe options for consumers, in response to the exponential rise in billions of low-value e-commerce goods entering the EU. Goods from third countries, purchased online and sent directly to consumers, will now be subject to a customs duty of €3 per item.
The €150 customs duty exemption was designed for an era of occasional online shopping and less digitised customs systems. This situation no longer reflects reality, and its removal corrects a long-standing structural imbalance for EU businesses. Across Europe, city high streets are becoming increasingly deserted, reducing local employment opportunities and undermining community life. From an environmental perspective, the fast-paced e-commerce model contributes to packaging waste and high-carbon logistics, whilst frequent returns and long-distance shipments double transport-related pollution.
This measure restores a level playing field for importers, ensuring that EU retailers importing in bulk and large online operators from outside the EU compete under the same regulatory conditions.
European consumers are not liable for customs duties.
Customs authorities collect the duties from the platforms or any other company involved in the sale and transport of the imported goods. Therefore, consumers who shop online do not have to pay any additional charges upon delivery.
Addressing the growing risks to EU consumers
The rapid growth of e-commerce has also brought with it greater risks for consumers. A survey carried out in the EU in 2025 revealed that over 60% of low-value products entering the EU do not comply with product requirements or safety standards. This means they may contain toxic ingredients or be mislabelled, putting consumers at risk.
The new measure also introduces an obligation to declare product identifiers (PIDs). The inclusion of PIDs improves risk management and control procedures, facilitating compliance with bans and restrictions. This will enable the authorities to detect non-compliant products more effectively and extend checks beyond individual consignments to cover all items posing similar risks. This measure will apply on a voluntary basis from 1 July 2026 and will become mandatory from November 2026.
A temporary measure until 2028.
The €3 rate is a transitional solution,agreed by the 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 Centre will become operational and will apply the standard customs duties based on the tariff classification, origin and value of the goods, in accordance with current EU customs regulations.
Background
In 2025 alone, 5,900 million items in low-value parcels from third countries flooded the EU market without paying customs duties. Every day, more than 16 million parcels are cleared through customs for delivery to EU consumers. Currently, low-value parcels account for 97 per cent of all items imported into the EU, but only 2 per cent of the total value of imports. As trade patterns change, competition in this sector is no longer fair. The exemption was systematically exploited by undervaluing goods or artificially splitting orders into several parcels to remain below the €150 threshold.
This measure forms part of theEU’s customs reform, agreed by the European Parliament and the Member States on 26 March 2026. It is essential to safeguard the EU economy against unfair competition and to protect consumers from the risks posed by unsafe products. The reform represents a fundamental change in the way goods enter the EU, placing greater responsibility on sellers and platforms.
The reform introduces several measures specific to e-commerce. In addition to removing the exemption from customs duties, it introduces a processing fee for goods imported into the EU, intended to offset the increased costs for customs authorities. The amount of this fee will be determined by a delegated act and will be based on the minimum costs incurred by customs authorities in processing goods. The fee will come into force no later than 1 November 2026.
More information: European Commission.
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