Online retailers shipping low-value goods into the European Union will face new customs charges from July 1, 2026, following the abolition of the bloc’s long-standing €150 duty-free threshold for imported products.
The move, part of the EU’s wider Customs Reform package, will affect millions of ecommerce orders shipped into Europe from countries outside the EU and could increase costs for merchants that rely on low-value cross-border sales.
For years, goods worth €150 or less could enter the EU without customs duties. Under the new rules, that exemption disappears. Instead, the European Commission will introduce a temporary €3 customs duty on qualifying low-value ecommerce imports until July 2028, when a new EU Customs Data Hub is expected to take over administration of the system.
The reform is widely seen as a response to the rapid growth of cross-border ecommerce platforms shipping inexpensive products directly to European consumers. According to the European Commission, almost 5.9 billion low-value items entered the EU in 2025 under the existing exemption. Officials argue that the current system gives overseas sellers an advantage over EU-based retailers that must comply with customs obligations and product safety requirements.
The Commission has also linked the changes to concerns about product compliance. It says inspections carried out during 2025 found high levels of non-compliance among certain imported consumer products, including toys, cosmetics and electronics. More than 60% of checked items failed to meet EU standards because of issues such as missing safety information, prohibited ingredients or inadequate documentation.
For ecommerce merchants, the immediate challenge will be adapting pricing and fulfillment processes. DHL has warned that sellers shipping into the EU should ensure customs declarations contain accurate product descriptions, HS codes and country-of-origin information. The logistics company says incomplete shipment data could lead to customs delays and additional charges.
The changes may prove particularly significant for businesses using dropshipping or cross-border fulfillment models, where margins on low-cost products are often relatively thin. Although the European Commission says the duty is payable by importers and sellers rather than consumers, merchants may ultimately choose to absorb the cost or pass it on through higher product prices.
Why this matters to ecommerce merchants
If your business ships products into the EU from outside the bloc, low-value orders are about to become more expensive and administratively complex. Merchants may need to review pricing, customs processes and fulfillment strategies before the new rules take effect.
The reforms could benefit EU-based retailers by reducing a cost advantage previously enjoyed by some overseas sellers. However, businesses that depend on high volumes of low-cost imported goods may see margins come under pressure as the new customs charges begin to apply.
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Matt Walsh is the Head of Content at Ecommercetrix. He also creates video content for the site and its associated YouTube channel.
Having gained a degree in Literature and Philosophy from Trinity College Dublin and an MA in International Relations from Dublin City University, Matt worked in the marketing world for a decade before taking up an education role — teaching languages, literature and creative writing in London.
Matt is an Adobe Certified Associate in Photoshop and Illustrator, and also holds a certificate in digital marketing from DMI (Digital Marketing Institute), along with a postgraduate certificate in Design Thinking, Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Creative Thinking from Trinity College Dublin.