EU Package Fee from 1 July 2026: What the New Customs Rules Mean for Temu, Shein and European E-Commerce

Wednesday, July 1, 2026

From 1 July 2026, the European Union levies a flat fee of €3 per tariff classification on all e-commerce packages from third countries – and simultaneously abolishes the previous customs exemption threshold of €150. The measure hits Asian platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress particularly hard, as their business model relies on direct-shipping from China. The E-Commerce Institute Cologne assesses the implications for supply chains, consumer prices and competition in European online retail.

Important Facts

From 1 July 2026: the EU levies a €3 flat fee per tariff classification within a shipment from third countries.
Simultaneously, the previous €150 customs exemption for low-value shipments from third countries is abolished.
A parcel containing three different product categories incurs €9 in customs fees – a parcel with multiple items of the same category (e.g. several garments) pays just €3.
The number of duty-free e-commerce parcels entering the EU grew from 1.4 billion (2022) to 5.8 billion in 2025.
E-commerce air freight volumes may fall 10–35% in the weeks following implementation (Cirrus Global Advisors).
The €3 fee is a transitional measure – from 1 July 2028, category-specific duties levied by the new EU Customs Authority will replace it.
Amazon fulfilled 97% of EU orders from warehouses within the EU single market in the past year – and is therefore barely affected.
Shein is responding by expanding warehouse space in Wroclaw, Poland, and shipping more goods in larger consignments from within the EU.

Background: Why the EU Is Acting Now

Customs exemptions for low-value shipments have existed for decades. Introduced to simplify private travel, the exemption became a source of competitive distortion with the rise of cross-border e-commerce. Platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress used the exemption systematically to deliver goods from China to the EU duty-free – at prices below what European retailers can produce or purchase.

The EU’s response follows the E-Commerce Action Plan of January 2025 and an agreement among EU finance ministers in November 2025. The United States moved first: it ended the comparable “de minimis” exemption for Chinese imports in May 2026 and for all remaining imports at the end of August. Europe is closing a regulatory gap that would otherwise have served as an alternative market for Chinese platforms redirected from the US.

Impact on Platforms and Supply Chains at a Glance

Platform	Primary impact	Response	Assessment
Temu (PDD Holdings)	Very high – fast-shipping model from China	No official statement yet	🔴 Severely affected
Shein	Very high – direct shipping from China	Warehouse expansion in Wroclaw, Poland	🔴 Severely affected, adapting
AliExpress (Alibaba)	High – many categories per shipment	Transparent duty disclosure before purchase	🟡 Affected, communicating actively
Amazon	Low – 97% EU-internal fulfilment	Import costs shown before checkout	🟢 Barely affected
European retailers	Indirect – competitive landscape shifts	Short-term competitive advantage	🟡 Positive signal, but price changes

Table: E-Commerce Institute Cologne, own analysis 2026. Sources: Reuters, Logistik Heute, MarketScreener

What Does the Fee Mean in Practice for Consumers?

The €3 fee is charged per tariff classification – not per parcel. This means: ordering a parcel with five T-shirts costs €3 extra. Ordering a parcel with a T-shirt, a phone case and a toy costs €9. Platforms such as AliExpress have already announced that they will display import costs transparently before checkout.

The extent to which fees are passed on to consumers depends on how much pressure platforms can place on suppliers to absorb part of the additional costs. Freight consultant Derek Lossing of Cirrus Global Advisors expects e-commerce air freight volumes to fall by 10 to 35 per cent as the cost advantage of direct imports diminishes.

Expert Quotes

The exemption was abused and misused on an industrial scale to gain a competitive advantage at the expense of EU businesses.

— Dirk Gotink, MEP responsible for customs reform in the European Parliament, July 2026

The reform will not reduce shipment volumes. It will shift the structures of logistics and processing – and raise competition to a new level.

— Rico Back, Managing Partner, SKR AG, July 2026

Academic Context

Research by Julian Thiers and the team led by Prof. Dr. Richard C. Geibel at the E-Commerce Institute Cologneassesses the new EU package fee as a necessary but limited measure. Its steering effect remains weak as long as the fundamental price gap between direct imports from China and European goods persists. The decisive structural consequence lies elsewhere: Asian platforms will relocate their logistics into the EU – and in doing so will intensify competitive pressure on price, availability and delivery speed over the medium term.

For European retailers, this creates a dual challenge: a short-term competitive advantage as direct imports become more expensive, but medium-term higher demands on professionalism, data quality and operational excellence across the entire supply chain – once Asian platforms consolidate their warehouse infrastructure within Europe.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Question: What changes from 1 July 2026 when ordering from non-EU countries?

Answer: The previous €150 customs exemption is abolished. In addition, a flat fee of €3 per tariff classification (product category) within a shipment applies. Parcels containing multiple different product types pay correspondingly more.

Question: Who is most affected by the new EU package fee?

Answer: Platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress are particularly severely affected, as their business model relies on direct shipping from China. Amazon is barely affected, since 97% of EU orders are already fulfilled from EU-based warehouses.

Question: How are the platforms responding to the new rules?

Answer: Shein is expanding warehouse space in Wroclaw, Poland, and shipping more goods in larger consignments from within the EU. AliExpress displays import costs transparently before checkout. Temu has not yet issued an official statement.

Question: Will products from Temu or Shein become more expensive?

Answer: Yes, at least in part. Platforms will pass on the additional costs in full or in part to consumers. They may also pressure suppliers to absorb some of the extra costs in order to limit price increases.

Question: Is the €3 fee permanent?

Answer: No. The €3 flat fee is a transitional measure. From 1 July 2028, the new EU Customs Authority begins operations and category-specific duties replace the flat rate.

Sources: Logistik Heute (Sandra Lehmann, 01.07.2026), Reuters / MarketScreener (01.07.2026)