Winds of change are blowing across cross-border e-commerce, especially in the B2C segment. Council of the European Union approved new rules establishing customs duties for items contained in small packages entering the European Union, which currently in many cases enter duty-free.
Formal approval was given within the framework of inter-institutional file 2023/0157(NLE), adopted on January 30, 2026.
According to the Council of the European Union, the customs exemption for shipments under 150 euros will be eliminated and, on a temporary basis, a fixed duty will be applied. 3 euros per product category contained in the package from the July 1, 2026 and until at least 2028, when the commissioning of EU Customs Data Center.
In the statement, Cyprus's Finance Minister, Makis Keravnos, he claimed: “Eliminating the outdated exemption for small packages will help support EU businesses and close avenues for unscrupulous sellers.”.
The measure comes amid strong growth in e-commerce. According to data from the European Commission, around 4.600 billion small parcels entered the European market in 2024, 91% of which originated in China.
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