On July 1, a flat €3 customs duty on low-value e-commerce imports will come into effect. Until now, goods imported into the EU worth under €150 were exempt from customs duties.
This temporary measure means small parcels entering the bloc, largely through online shopping platforms, will face a fixed customs charge. It addresses what the European Council describes as "unfair competition" for European retailers, as well as concerns over unsafe products, fraud and the environmental impact of vast volumes of cheap imports.
