European Union finance ministers have agreed to introduce a €3 (US $ 3.52) customs duty on low-value parcels entering the bloc, as part of efforts to curb the surge in low-cost e-commerce imports from China, according to a Reuters report.
From 1st July 2026, the per-item charge will apply to parcels shipped into the EU by platforms such as SHEIN and Temu. The Council of the EU, representing the bloc’s 27 member states, said the duty would remain in place until a permanent framework is introduced to abolish the current de minimis exemption for online purchases valued below €150 (US $ 176).
The exemption had been scheduled for removal in 2028 under a broader reform of the EU’s customs system. However, pressure to act sooner has increased amid concerns that Chinese goods are being dumped on the European market.
A council source said the duty would be calculated per product category using six-digit tariff codes. Under this system, ten identical pairs of socks would attract a single €3 (US $ 3.52) charge, while five pairs of wool socks and five pairs of cotton socks would be treated as two separate item types, resulting in a total charge of €6 (US $ 7.04).
Irish Member of the European Parliament Barry Andrews, who had previously proposed a €5 (US $ 5.87) levy per package, said he supported the agreed €3 (US $ 3.52) duty per item and added that member states should consider increasing it if it failed to reduce the volume of low-cost deliveries.
Online marketplaces including SHEIN, Temu, AliExpress and Amazon Haul ship clothing, accessories and electronic goods directly from Chinese factories to European consumers at very low prices. The existing customs waiver has contributed to a sharp rise in such imports, with the number of low-value e-commerce parcels entering the EU doubling in 2024 to 4.6 billion. More than 90% of these parcels originated from China, and volumes are expected to rise further in 2025.
The EU is also examining the introduction of an additional handling fee. The European Commission has proposed a charge of €2 (US $ 2.35) per parcel, although no timeline has yet been announced for its implementation.
