The European Union will introduce a €2 handling fee on small parcels ordered from outside of the bloc from 1 November, in an attempt to curb the surge in direct-to-consumer e-commerce shipments.
The €2 handling fee will not apply to every separate product in a package, but to every different product type in it: a package containing five pairs of pants and five T-shirts, for example, will be charged a €4 handling fee.
It complements a €3 customs duty per item introduced by the EU in July of this year on parcels valued below €150.
This new handling fee will apply to any parcel, regardless of its value, and is being introduced before a busy season for e-commerce, with Black Friday sales and Christmas gifts traditionally creating a peak in online orders.
Unlike the customs duty, which is a temporary measure expiring in 2028, the handling fee will be charged permanently to any parcel imported into the EU. Additionally, the EU will introduce product-specific customs duties on 1 July 2028.
The fee will pay for safety checks by the EU, in what it describes as an effort to protect consumers from unsafe products that violate the production rules in the Union. Over 90% of packages arriving in the EU come directly from China, often via direct-to-consumer platforms like AliExpress, Shein, and Temu.
The EU will charge the companies sending the parcels directly for the handling fee, but cannot prevent these companies from raising their prices.
Therefore, consumer protection agencies are concerned that some platforms may try to pass these new costs onto consumers at the final stages of the purchase, as already expressed about the customs duty. This, however, would be illegal under EU law, which requires the full price to be shown upfront.
'Safe borders require adequate resources'
In recent years, the large volume of parcels coming into the bloc has put a strain on customs services across its 27 Member States.
Since introducing the customs duty in July, however, the EU has reported a drop of 64% in packages being imported. Before 1 July 2026, it was estimated that 15 million small-value parcels entered the EU every day.
Customs authority have started reporting a decline in the number of parcels coming through the main hubs, including Belgium, France and the Netherlands, since the introduction of the fee.
“Behind every bargain from non‑EU online shops, consumers may face hidden dangers, from choking risks on toys to chemicals in clothes causing a skin rash or risks of electric shocks or fire from faulty electronics," Agustín Reyna, Director General of the European Consumer Organisation BEUC, said about the measure.
"The new €2 handling fee shows policymakers have finally recognised that safe borders require adequate resources to protect consumers from unsafe products reaching their homes," he said.
Tests performed by BEUC found that 69% of products imported by Temu and Shein were non‑compliant with EU safety standards and potentially unsafe. The products carried, among others, risks ranging from fire and electric shocks to choking hazards and exposure to toxic chemicals.
The handling fee will be evaluated and adjusted if needed every two years.
