EU to Charge €2 Handling Fee per Declaration Line on Low-Value Imports
The EU will impose a €2 handling fee per declaration line on low-value B2C cross-border imports and require product identification information in customs declarations.
What are the key facts?
- 1€2 handling fee per declaration line on low-value cross-border e-commerce imports
- 2Requirements take effect November 1, 2026
- 3Mainly applies to B2C distance sales with an intrinsic value of no more than €150
- 4Low-value imported goods must include product identification information in customs declarations
- 5Handling fees may accumulate by declaration line
What happened?
According to an official EU document, from November 1, 2026, low-value e-commerce goods imported for consumers must include product identification information in customs declarations. The requirement mainly applies to B2C distance sales of goods with an intrinsic value of no more than €150. At the same time, the EU will introduce a €2 Union Handling Fee per declaration line. The product identification code requirement mainly affects sellers, platforms, and customs service providers shipping directly from outside the EU to consumers; B2B shipments generally do not fall under this B2C requirement. For orders containing multiple different products or multiple HS codes in one parcel, the fee may accumulate by declaration line rather than being charged simply per parcel. Sellers shipping directly from China, Japan, or South Korea, as well as those using platform-based cross-border delivery, need to check whether HS codes, brand and model details, product identification codes, country of origin, and declared value can be transmitted automatically by their systems, and assess whether placing inventory in EU warehouses in advance is more cost-effective than continuing small-parcel direct shipping.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
From November 1, 2026, B2C goods shipped directly from outside the EU to consumers with an intrinsic value of no more than €150 must include product identification information in customs declarations and may incur a €2 handling fee per declaration line. Sellers shipping from China, Japan, or South Korea, and those using platform-based cross-border delivery, should closely check fee accumulation for orders with multiple products or HS codes and compare the cost of EU warehousing with continued small-parcel direct shipping.
What should sellers do now?
- 1This week, export B2C orders shipped directly from outside the EU with an intrinsic value of no more than €150. Split them by product and HS code into declaration lines, verify whether each line contains the brand and model, product identification code, country of origin, and declared value, and create a list of missing fields.Listing character checker
- 2This week, use a profit calculator to estimate the impact of the €2 handling fee per declaration line on orders shipped from China, Japan, or South Korea. Enter single-product orders and orders with multiple products or HS codes separately, produce a gross-margin comparison before and after the adjustment, and flag abnormal orders.Profit calculator
- 3This week, organize EU-direct-shipping best-selling listings and their corresponding inventory. Compare the cost of continuing small-parcel direct shipping with placing inventory in EU warehouses in advance, and complete at least a stocking list categorized by product, declaration line, and fulfillment method for subsequent decision review.Procurement List