EU: €2 Handling Fee on Online Goods From Outside the Bloc Starts November 1
From November 1, the European Union charges a flat €2 handling fee on goods ordered online from non-EU countries, regardless of value, including consignments worth more than €150. The fee comes on top of the temporary duty on small parcels, with platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress most affected.
One item means goods with the same tariff classification, description and origin: a parcel containing a pen, a notebook and a key ring costs €6, while two identical pens cost €2. The fee is non-refundable, including for returns. The declarant, whether platform, seller or carrier, pays and can pass the cost on to buyers; 75 percent of the revenue goes to the EU budget and 25 percent stays with member states.
The fee comes on top of a temporary €3 duty per item on consignments up to €150, which has applied since July 1, 2026 and runs until July 1, 2028.
According to the European Commission, small-parcel imports fell by 60 percent between July and September, but around 5 million parcels still enter the EU every day; in 2024, 91 percent of them came from China. An EU official said e-commerce is a disproportionate cost for customs. Ethnic Chinese consumers shopping online in the EU will face the same price effects from the new fee.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 照片：邮局包裹（资料图），Sardaka 摄，Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0 授权 / Photo: parcels at a post office, by Sardaka, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
