Currently, goods valued below €150 shipped to EU consumers do not incur customs duties, though they are still subject to VAT and customs declarations.
The abolition of the threshold responds to the rise of e-commerce and the large volume of low-value packages entering the bloc from outside its borders, the European Commission said in a statement.
The removal of the exemption is intended to address issues of unfair competition between e-commerce retailers importing individual parcels and traditional retailers importing goods in bulk.
The European Commission said the decision builds on an earlier agreement from EU member states to introduce an e-commerce handling fee from November 2026.
The measure also follows a resolution passed by the European Parliament supporting changes to product safety and compliance requirements for goods imported from outside the EU.
Related News
- EU Finance Ministers agree to end duty-free entry for small parcels
- EU accuses Chinese e-commerce site Temu of violating digital law
- US tech giant Amazon accused of snubbing European Parliament again
- De Wever urged to tackle influx of Chinese e-commerce parcels
- Only 82 per million products entering EU are checked for compliance with regulations
