The European Union on Wednesday ended a customs duty exemption for imports worth less than €150 ($171), meaning consumers buying low-cost goods from outside the bloc will face higher costs.
Under the new rules, a flat customs charge of €3 will apply to each category of goods in a shipment. For example, a package containing several T-shirts would incur a single €3 charge, while adding a toy would trigger an additional €3 fee.
Although sellers or importers are legally responsible for declaring and paying the customs charges, they can pass the cost on to consumers, the European Commission said. The European Consumer Centre Germany warned that the new fees could significantly increase the price of very low-cost products, and experts say prices on some online marketplaces have already risen.
The move follows a surge in low-value imports into the EU. According to the commission, 5.9 billion parcels valued at less than €150 entered the bloc last year without being subject to customs duties, equivalent to around 16 million shipments a day. More than 90% of those parcels originated in China, according to a senior EU official.
The flat-rate charge is expected to remain in place until July 1, 2028, serving as a temporary measure while the EU develops a new digital customs platform. Once the system is operational, standard customs duties based on a product's value, origin and classification will apply.
