Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states agreed in Brussels on a new processing fee for every product ordered online and imported into the EU. The fee is set to apply from November 1 and cover costs for handling small packages.
Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states reached an agreement in Brussels to introduce a processing fee for online imports from non-EU countries. The fee applies from November 1 to every product and will be collected by national authorities. The European Commission will set the amount to cover rising costs for screening and controlling small shipments, as both sides announced. Additionally, a three-euro fee for packages up to 150 euros will apply from July, which are currently duty-free. This is temporary until a digital platform makes all imports duty-liable from one euro in 2028, ensuring fair competition conditions. Affected are retailers like Shein, Temu, AliExpress, and Amazon. The EU Commission reported around 12 million packages arriving daily in the EU in 2024. In Germany, Shein and Temu shipped about 400,000 packages daily according to HDE, with sales between 2.7 and 3.3 billion euros and 14 million buyers. Temu, active in Germany since spring 2023, and Shein, based in Singapore, face criticism over product quality and unfair competition. The EU customs framework reform also aims to streamline global trade, collect duties more efficiently, and tighten controls on non-compliant goods.
