EU introduces new fee on small packages, amount yet to be determined

Along with a temporary duty of three euros on shipments valued below 150 euros, which will be applied from July 1, 2026, the European Union (EU) will introduce an additional handling fee for small packages across the Union by November 1, as announced on the website of the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts.

The new fee will be paid alongside the aforementioned temporary duty to cover the rising costs of monitoring the increasing number of small packages entering the EU through e-commerce. It is still unknown how much this fee will amount to, as the European Commission has yet to determine the amount of the new levy before member states begin to apply it, according to the announcement from HOK.

HOK also reminded that the EU Council adopted a proposal for a Regulation establishing the Union Customs Code and the Customs Authority of the European Union, which will require e-commerce platforms located outside the EU to pay customs duties that have so far been paid by the end consumer in the EU. Sanctions will be introduced for e-commerce entities that do not fulfill their customs obligations, while customs procedures will also be simplified for the most reliable traders.

A unique EU Customs Data Center will also be established, headquartered in Lille, France, which will begin operations in 2027.

Recording imports into the EU and exports from the EU at this center will be mandatory for businesses engaged in e-commerce from July 1, 2028, and from March 1, 2034, it will also be mandatory for all other traders.

When the EU Council reached an agreement in December last year on the application of the aforementioned fixed duty on small packages, it was already emphasized that this measure differs from the proposed so-called “processing fee,” which was only discussed in the context of a package of customs reforms and the multiannual financial framework.

On the other hand, it is known that the temporary measure of a three-euro fixed duty on small packages aims to respond to the enormous number of packages that have been entering the EU duty-free for years, leading to unfair market competition for EU sellers, health and safety risks for consumers, high levels of fraud, and environmental concerns.

The three-euro duty applies to each individual item in the shipment according to their tariff numbers.