Non-EU parcels with a new 2 euro fee, alongside the duty in force since July

The EU is adding another cost to the import of small shipments from China and other third countries. The cost of orders shipped directly from Asia, which Polish stores compete with, is rising, and companies buying small batches from outside the EU will pay more.

As of Sunday, 1 November, a handling fee of 2 euros applies in the European Union to goods imported from third countries. According to a PAP dispatch, the fee is fixed and covers all shipments, regardless of value. It is charged for each customs code in the parcel, so a shipment containing clothes and electronics costs an additional 4 euros. The European Commission adopted the delegated act setting the amount of the fee on 21 September, and the deadline for objections from the European Parliament and the Council expired on 21 October.

The new fee complements the temporary 3 euro duty. It has applied since 1 July 2026 to parcels worth up to 150 euros sent directly to consumers. An EC official cited by PAP said that the number of such shipments has fallen by more than 60 percent since then. However, five million of them still arrive in the EU every day. According to pit.pl, 4.6 billion small parcels entered the EU market in 2024, 91 percent of them from China.

From today, it is also mandatory for the importer to provide a product identifier for each item in the parcel. Since July, the system had been operating on a trial basis. Of the revenue from duties and the fee, 75 percent goes to the EU budget, and 25 percent is retained by member states to cover domestic costs. The 3 euro duty is to remain in force until the customs reform takes effect on 1 July 2028, which will abolish the 150 euro threshold.

According to the EC official, the opening of warehouses in the EU by Asian platforms is not undesirable from the customs authorities' point of view, because imports in large batches are easier to control. “Every business model is allowed, as long as customs duty is paid on it,” he told reporters.

According to portalspozywczy.pl, MediaMarkt expects an increase in orders, while Allegro and Kaufland do not anticipate abrupt changes. The “Bought 2026” report by whenUbuy and iKsync shows that Allegro's share in the orders of people who also shop on Chinese platforms rose from 48 percent in May to 88 percent in August. However, these are data from users of a single app. The shift began before July. The authors of the report point out that this coincided with the 200 million euro fine that the EC imposed on Temu on 28 May for violating the Digital Services Act (DSA).

Companies sourcing through small shipments from outside the EU must reckon with a higher cost for each delivery, especially when one parcel contains goods with different customs codes.