The key facts

  • From November 1, all parcels imported into the EU are subject to a €2 fee on top of the €3 duty
  • The fee is paid by platforms, sellers or carriers; 75% of the funds go to the EU budget
  • From July to September, the volume of small parcels fell by 60%, but the EU still receives 5 million consignments daily

New parcel fee

Starting November 1, the European Union will introduce a €2 fee on all parcels entering the EU market, regardless of their value. This is reported by euronews. The fee is intended to cover customs processing costs and is added to the €3 duty on small consignments worth less than €150, which has been in effect since July and will remain until 2028, when a new customs IT system comes into operation.

Who it affects and how the funds are distributed

The fee will be paid by platforms, sellers or carriers, while EU member states will collect it. According to the outlet, 75% of the collected funds will go to the EU budget, with the remaining 25% staying with the countries. An official EU spokesperson explained the logic of the measures as follows: the duty ensures a level playing field for all goods entering the bloc, while the fee covers oversight costs, since e-commerce creates a 'disproportionate burden' for customs authorities.

Context: rising imports and measures against violations

The measures are a response to the sharp growth in cheap deliveries from the Chinese platforms Temu, Shein and AliExpress. According to the European Commission, the €3 duty has already affected volumes: from July to September, the number of small parcels fell by 60%, yet the EU still receives 5 million consignments daily; in 2024, 91% of such deliveries came from China. Product rule violations remain a problem as well: in September, the Commission proposed legislation against the import of illegal goods, under which an operator in the EU must bear legal responsibility for non-compliance, and in May it fined Temu €200 million over dangerous children's toys and faulty chargers; an investigation into Shein is underway, including over child sex dolls.