The EU will impose taxes on "small value parcels" from July 1, 91% of which come from China

Sunny Worldwide LogisticsIt is a logistics company with more than 20 years of transportation experience, focusing on markets such as Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Southeast Asia. It is more of a cargo owner than a cargo owner~

According to the latest announcement from the European Commission, starting from July 1, 2026, the EU will officially cancel the tariff exemption policy for low-value imported packages below 150 euros, and impose a temporary fixed tariff of 3 euros on low-value consignment goods from outside the EU. This measure applies until July 1, 2028.

The tariff is not simply charged at a flat rate of 3 euros per package, but is calculated separately based on the different tariff categories to which the goods in the package belong. For example, if there is only one T-shirt in the same package, a tariff of 3 euros will be applied; if it contains both a T-shirt and a watch, it involves two product categories and a tariff of 6 euros may be imposed.

According to relevant media reports, the total volume of low-value parcels under 150 euros entering the EU market in 2024 will be approximately 4.6 billion pieces, and has climbed to approximately 5.8 billion pieces by 2025, a year-on-year increase of approximately 26%. Data previously disclosed by the EU shows that about 91% of such small parcels come from China.

The European Commission estimates that about 65% of small parcels entering the EU avoid tariffs by lowering the declared value. Some companies deliberately control the price of goods below the duty-free threshold of 150 euros to avoid tariffs, which intensifies the pressure on customs supervision and creates an unfair advantage for competitors who abide by the rules.

It is worth noting that the EU official statement pointed out that starting from July 1, 2026, the temporary tariff of 3 euros will officially apply, and product identification codes (PID) can be declared voluntarily at that time. Starting from November 1, 2026, PID will become mandatory to improve the traceability and safety review capabilities of goods. At the same time, an independent EU customs processing fee is in the proposed stage. The European Commission had previously proposed to charge a processing fee of 2 euros per package for low-value e-commerce parcels.

We would like to remind relevant cargo owners and freight forwarding companies to pay close attention to the implementation progress of the new EU customs policy. Before arranging export of goods to Europe, promptly confirm the latest customs clearance rules and fee standards, and plan logistics plans reasonably to avoid customs clearance delays or additional costs caused by policy adjustments.