December 20, 2025, 8:27 am | Read time: 2 minutes
The EU has decided on an important change for online commerce. Package deliveries from providers such as Temu, Shein, or AliExpress will become more expensive in the future. The EU member states have agreed to impose an additional flat fee for low-cost package shipments starting in July 2026.
Specifically, a fee of 3 euros will be charged for each package with a value up to 150 euros. This was decided by the EU finance ministers at a meeting in Brussels. The new rule mainly affects international online retailers whose packages have often entered the EU without additional costs—for example, from China. Orders through Amazon may also be affected if they are shipped from non-EU countries.
Customs to Handle Processing
As early as November 2025, the EU decided to completely abolish the exemption limit for packages from China. However, the full reform will not take effect until 2028, once a digital platform for control and processing is ready. The flat fee will be collected directly by the respective customs authorities. This changes a key point: Until now, packages valued under 150 euros could be imported duty-free.
Fairer Conditions in Online Commerce
With the new fee, the EU aims to create equal competitive conditions. Retailers within the EU are already required to correctly declare duties and value-added tax; international discount platforms, on the other hand, often benefit from simplified import rules.
The EU intends to reduce these differences and offer relief to European retailers with the additional fee.