For years, a quiet loophole in EU customs law let parcels valued under €150 slip across borders without any duty charges. That era ends on July 1, 2026, when the European Union begins slapping a flat €3 customs fee on every low-value import entering the bloc from outside its borders.
The primary targets are obvious: Temu, Shein, and AliExpress, the trio of Chinese e-commerce platforms that have flooded Europe with cheap goods by exploiting the so-called de minimis exemption.
What the new duty actually looks like
The mechanics are straightforward. Every item valued at €150 or less that enters the EU from a non-member country will now carry an automatic €3 customs charge. The fee applies per item, not per shipment, which means a parcel containing five cheap phone cases could generate €15 in duties where it previously generated zero.
The EU Council reached agreement on this measure on December 12, 2025. Formal approval followed on February 11, 2026, setting the stage for the July 2026 enforcement date.
