According to Alicante Plaza, from 1 November 2026 the EU will start collecting a new handling fee of €2 per item (artículo) bought online from outside the Union. The fee applies in all member states. The European Commission set the amount, and the fee is part of a customs reform approved in September.
The fee is to be paid by the body responsible for import costs, with the aim that it does not fall directly on the final buyer. The money is meant to cover the costs national authorities incur in processing and checking parcels: verifying the information supplied, risk analysis and, where necessary, physical inspections.
A temporary €3 duty has applied since 1 July 2026 to items in parcels worth up to €150, ending the customs-duty exemption for low-value goods. It is calculated by product category, not per parcel. Several items under the same customs classification can be charged a single €3 duty, while items in different categories are charged €3 per category. The new €2 fee is independent of this duty and is charged in addition. The transitional system will remain in place until July 2028, after which the fixed duty is to be replaced by ordinary tariffs for each type of goods.
According to Brussels, about 5.9 billion low-value items entered the EU market in 2025. That is four times the 2022 level, and around 90% came from China. Under the reform, platforms and sellers from non-EU countries (the source names Shein and Temu) will be treated as importers. They must pass information about the goods to the authorities, pay what is due and ensure the goods meet EU safety and other rules. For systematic breaches, fines of up to 6% of the value of goods imported in the previous year are foreseen in the most serious cases. Other possible penalties are the loss of certain customs benefits and restricted access to platforms.
The reform also creates a European Customs Authority (Autoridad Aduanera Europea), based in Lille, France. It will coordinate the member states and manage a common system of import and export information. A shared customs data platform is due to start for e-commerce in 2028. It will be opened gradually to other companies from 2031 and is meant to become the single mandatory entry point for EU customs data by 2034.
A European consumers' organisation (named in the source as the Organización Europea de Consumidores) welcomed the fee but warned that its effectiveness depends on whether member states use the money raised to tighten controls. It is also concerned that platforms may pass the cost on to buyers late in the checkout process. In its view, that would breach the EU rule requiring the full price to be shown up front.
The source does not say whether the fee applies to parcels worth more than €150, how it will be collected in Spain, or how prices for buyers will change.
