EU levies €3 per-category fee on cheap e-commerce parcels, hitting Shein and Temu

The €3 charge

From 1 July, every non-EU parcel with a value under €150 faces a fixed €3 customs duty for each distinct product category inside it. A shipment containing two dresses incurs €3, while one with a dress and a T‑shirt triggers €6. The fee is paid by the seller but is likely to be passed on to consumers through higher product prices or shipping costs. The European Commission describes the measure as temporary, in place until the full customs reform planned for July 2028, which will introduce a data centre and a new authority in Lille.

The surge in low-value parcels

Customs exemptions for low-value imports date back to the 1980s, with the current €150 threshold set in 2008. The e-commerce explosion has transformed the landscape. The number of low-value parcels entering the EU soared from 1.4 billion in 2022 to an estimated 5.8 billion in 2025, and roughly 12 million now arrive daily. Over 90 % originate from China, channelled mainly through platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress. Spain alone receives around 180 million such parcels a year.

EU lawmaker Dirk Gotink, who leads the Parliament's customs reform dossier, says the old system no longer fits.

In a different trading world this made a lot of sense, but that world doesn’t exist anymore. It’s been turned on its head by e-commerce, especially from China. The exemption was abused and misused on an industrial scale to create a competitive advantage at the expense of EU businesses.

Pressure on air cargo and prices

Derek Lossing, who runs Cirrus Global Advisors, expects e-commerce air cargo volumes into the EU to drop between 10 % and 35 % in the weeks after the levy. He warns that platforms have few alternative large markets after the United States ended its own de minimis exemption for Chinese imports in May and for all imports at the end of August.

When the U.S. ended de minimis, Europe was a really good alternative that platforms could shift to – but now there's not a really clear alternative to Europe.

Safety and regulatory context

Brussels has repeatedly flagged that many low‑cost imports do not meet EU safety standards. Random checks have found over 60 % of examined items non‑compliant. On 28 May, the EU fined Temu €200 million for failing to assess systemic risks, after authorities discovered baby toys with chemical hazards and detachable parts creating choking risks. Shein faces an ongoing investigation over child‑like sex dolls offered on its site. Retail group ANGED argues the new fee is still insufficient to level the playing field, while logistics association UNO warns that unless customs processes are urgently digitalised and staff levels boosted, the sheer volume of classifications could overwhelm border operations.