Business · Trade · 12 hrs ago
EU adds €2 handling fee to parcels imported from outside the bloc
From November 1, the EU will charge a €2 handling fee on imports from outside the bloc.
It applies to parcels sent directly into the EU, including orders from platforms such as Shein and Temu, regardless of the goods' value.
The fee is calculated by product category, so one parcel with several kinds of goods can incur more than one charge.
The fee is separate from the EU's €3 charge, in effect since July, on parcels worth up to €150.
Online platforms and sellers are legally responsible for paying the new fee, not shoppers directly.
Companies may still pass the cost on through prices or delivery charges, so some shoppers could face higher total costs.
The EU says the measure is intended to help customs handle the large volume of imported parcels and fund checks on goods.
The European Union will impose a €2 handling fee on goods imported directly from outside the bloc from 1 November 2026.
The fee is intended to help cover customs processing and respond to the rising volume of imported parcels.
It is separate from a €3 charge introduced in July 2026 for certain low-value parcels worth up to €150.
Online platforms and sellers are responsible for paying the new fee, though they may pass some of the cost on to customers.
The fee is generally calculated by product category within a parcel, although one article describes it as applying per item.
- Who
- The European Union is introducing the fee. Online platforms and sellers are responsible for paying it.
- What
- A €2 handling fee will apply to qualifying imports from outside the EU.
- When
- From 1 November 2026.
- Where
- On goods imported into the EU directly from countries outside the bloc.
- Why
- To help cover customs processing and address the large volume of imported parcels.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The EU introduced a temporary €3 charge for certain parcels worth up to €150.
The EU’s new €2 handling fee is due to take effect for imports from outside the bloc.
- New handling fee
- €2
- Start date
- 1 November 2026
- Existing low-value parcel charge
- €3 for qualifying parcels worth up to €150
- Fee calculation
- Generally by product category within a parcel
- EU parcel volume in 2025
- Nearly 5.9 billion small parcels, according to figures cited by SWI swissinfo.ch
5 sources
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What people are saying
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Las personas consumidoras tampoco deberían pagar esta nueva tasa de dos euros