EU to End Tax Exemption for Low-Value Parcels, Impose €3 Fee from July 1

The European Union will begin applying a €3 tax on low-value parcels entering the bloc starting July 1, 2026, to curb the influx of cheap goods, mainly from China.

• The EU will lift the customs exemption for parcels worth under €150 and impose a temporary €3 charge per consignment, effective until July 2028.
• A senior EU official said member states must stop imposing their own separate fees, and that consumers are not legally responsible for paying customs duties.
• Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament's trade committee, said data shows small parcels from abroad rose from 1.39 billion in 2022 to 5.88 billion in 2025.
• The EU will require providers to submit product reference details from November 1, 2026, and plans to introduce a processing fee (amount not yet set) later in 2026.