Oct
The EU has announced a new 2 euro handling fee on e-commerce packages
Who this will interest: e-commerce companies selling goods to EU customers;
Key point(s): a 2 euro per item handling fee will apply to e-commerce packages entering the EU with a value of less than 150 euros;
Essentia’s take: The EU had previously announced its intention to introduce a handling fee. The amount was not known until this new announcement.
Action points: Companies shipping goods to EU consumers from outside the EU will need to prepare for the introduction of this new handling fee.
In detail
The European Union will introduce a 2 euro per item handling fee. The handling fee will apply to parcels entering the EU from outside the trading block with a value of less than 150 euros which are sold to EU based consumers. It is expected the fee will start to apply from 1 November 2026.
The purpose of the handling fee is, according to the European Commission, to cover the costs of clearing the goods for customs which includes collecting, processing and verifying the data of operations, performing risk analysis, checks, analysis and verifications, making available the relevant infrastructure including its financing, and performing controls, including all related services rendered by the (new) EU Customs Authority.
The 2 euro handling fee is separate from the 3 euro customs duty introduced in the EU as of 1 July 2026. Both will therefore apply on parcels with a value of less than 150 euros entering the EU and sold to EU consumers.
It is worth noting other EU countries already operate a handling fee (France and Romania) separate from the EU one. It is expected the national handling fees will be abolished when the new 2 euro EU wide fee goes into force.
Businesses will need to review their pricing as a result of this new tax. It may also be beneficial to reevaluate whether it is worth continuing to ship small value parcels to EU consumers or switch to a different set up.
If you would like to discuss the impact of the handling fee on your business or a different set up in the EU, please let us know.