EU to Levy €3 Duty on Small Packages Under €150 from July 1, 2026
The EU Council has decided to impose a fixed €3 customs duty on e-commerce packages valued under €150 starting from July 1, 2026, aimed at combating unfair competition and enhancing consumer safety.
What are the key facts?
- 1Effective Date: July 1, 2026
- 2Levy Standard: Fixed €3 duty per item
- 3Scope: Import small packages valued under €150
What happened?
The EU Council has reached an agreement to levy a fixed customs duty of €3 on e-commerce small packages with a value below €150 starting from July 1, 2026. This temporary measure aims to address issues of unfair competition, health safety risks, and fraud resulting from the previous tax exemption policy. The customs duty will be calculated based on each different product within the package (based on tariff codes) and applies to sellers registered in the IOSS. This policy will remain in effect until the EU's comprehensive customs reform proposal is implemented.
What does this mean for cross-border sellers?
Sellers need to promptly adjust their pricing strategies in response to the new duty and carefully verify the HS codes of their SKUs to avoid tariff stacking issues with multi-category packages.