Customs policy: New €2 fee against package flood for imports into the EU
Billions of cheap products from China are arriving in the EU - no longer duty-free since July. From November, imports are set to become even more expensive.
The European Commission has introduced a new processing fee of €2 for products imported into the EU from third countries, such as China or the US, ordered online. The fee, which will apply from November 1, will be paid by online trading platforms, not end consumers in Europe. The EU aims to tackle the surge in cheap packages, with around six billion packages from online traders processed by European customs in 2025, 90% of which came from China.
The fee is part of a broader customs reform, which includes the creation of a new EU customs authority to be based in Lille. Additionally, a customs duty has been applicable to cheap goods from abroad since July, with a flat rate of €3 per goods category in a shipment.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
