The European Parliament and the European Council have approved a new handling fee for small packages arriving from outside the EU, to be implemented no later than November 1. The European Commission will set the flat fee, which is expected to be about €2 per parcel. This charge will be applied in addition to a separate customs fee of €3 for purchases valued up to €150; the customs fee is scheduled to start in July.
The measure responds to a sharp increase in low-cost goods shipped to Europe via platforms such as Shein, Temu, AliExpress and Amazon. EU figures show 5.9 million small packages entered the bloc in 2025, about 90% of them originating in China, a volume that customs authorities say has made full inspections impractical.
Consumer groups have raised safety concerns, warning that many items sold on discount Chinese platforms contain chemicals banned in the EU. Some advocacy groups estimate that over 90% of products offered on those sites may not comply with EU safety rules. Part of the revenue from the new handling fee will be used to hire more customs officers to improve checks and enforcement.
Lawmakers also agreed on stricter penalties for companies that export dangerous products to the EU. From 2028, firms found to have shipped hazardous goods to the bloc could face fines of up to 6% of the revenue generated by their annual exports to the EU.
The European consumer organization BEUC welcomed the package of measures, highlighting risks such as toys that pose choking hazards and textiles contaminated with banned chemicals. Consumers have also complained about poor product quality and unclear return policies on the marketplaces in question.
Industry figures underline the scale of imports. The German Trade Association (HDE) estimates that Shein and Temu alone deliver roughly 400,000 packages to German customers each day, producing between €2.7 billion and €3.3 billion in revenue in 2024. HDE data also indicate that more than 14 million Germans purchased items from those platforms in 2025.