A surge of bargain parcels pouring into Europe is about to get more expensive for online sellers: from 1 November, the European Union will impose a €2 handling fee on packages arriving from outside the bloc, a move aimed at slowing the flood of shipments from China.
The new levy – introduced just weeks before the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Christmas season shopping rushes – will come on top of the EU’s existing €3 fee on small parcels.
How will it work?
The handling charge will be calculated per type of item inside a package shipped directly to consumers from outside the EU, and it will apply regardless of the parcel’s value. That means a package containing 10 T-shirts would incur a €2 handling fee.
However, if that same package includes two hats in addition to the 10 T-shirts, the fee rises to €4.
This €2 handling fee is separate from, and added to, the €3 duty the EU introduced in July on small packages valued at less than €150.
EU officials insist European consumers will not be the ones paying the handling fee.
Instead, the cost is placed on online marketplaces – including US platforms such as Amazon and Chinese retailers such as AliExpress and Temu – along with sellers and other intermediaries.
Even so, platforms and sellers could choose to increase prices, effectively shifting the extra costs onto shoppers.
Why is the EU introducing the fee?
Official data show nearly six billion small packages entered the EU last year.
About 93% of the low-cost parcels delivered into Europe originated in China, often routed through major Asian platforms such as AliExpress and Temu.
Brussels argues the volume has increasingly stretched customs authorities, driving up the cost of managing the flow. The new handling fee, EU officials say, is designed to offset those additional customs efforts.
Since the EU rolled out the €3 duty on small parcels in July, imports have dropped by roughly 64% – though officials caution it is too soon to draw firm conclusions.
Beyond sheer volume, Europe has also voiced concern about “unsafe” non-EU goods – including toys that break the rules – entering the bloc through Chinese e-commerce platforms.
What’s next?
The €2 handling fee will be a permanent levy, while the €3 duty on low-value packages is a temporary measure set to remain in place until 1 July 2028.
After that date, standard, product-specific customs tariffs are scheduled to take over.
The EU will also be required to review the amount of the handling fee every two years to make sure it stays proportional to the cost of customs operations across the bloc.
