From 1 July 2026, the European Union introduced a customs duty of €3 on imports of low-value parcels from non-EU countries. According to the European Commission, the duty applies to a wide range of goods, mainly sold online, with a value of up to €150.

The delivery charge will be calculated not on the basis of the number of items, but on the number of price categories. For example, buying five T-shirts will cost €3, whereas buying three T-shirts and a watch will cost €6, as these items fall into different categories.

The responsibility for declaring and paying customs duties lies with the seller or importer. The European Commission has stated that the measure is intended to create a level playing field, protect consumers from unsafe goods and combat customs fraud.

As Reuters notes, the €3 levy is a temporary measure. From 1 July 2028, it is planned to be replaced by duties linked to the category of goods.

The exemption from customs duties on low-value imported goods has been in place for several decades: the €150 threshold was introduced in 2008. However, in recent years, the number of such goods imported into the EU has risen sharply — from 1.4 billion in 2022 to 5,8 billion in 2025.

According to The Guardian, around 90 per cent of such parcels come from China. The new measure will primarily affect major retailers such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress. AliExpress told Reuters that the company will add a relevant note to its product descriptions.