Brussels on Wednesday scrapped the EU’s duty-free treatment for parcels under €150 and added a €3 customs charge, while tightening steel safeguards to curb a trade gap with China that reached about €360 billion in 2025.
The parcel move targets a surge in low-value imports dominated by Temu and Shein: 5.9 billion packages entered the EU in 2025, up from 1.4 billion in 2022, with officials saying many failed safety tests.
The steel rules set tariff-free quotas at 18.3 million metric tons a year, levy 50% duties on out-of-quota imports across 26 product types, and require origin tracing to block rerouting through third countries.
EU officials say the measures defend retailers, plants and jobs from Chinese overcapacity, though analysts warn the €3 fee may only dent impulse buying because the China-Europe price gap remains wide.
Beijing has warned it will respond to discriminatory measures, and economists see limited odds of a broader settlement before the EU’s October deadline for progress in rebalancing trade.
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Europe’s €3 E-Commerce Tax and Steel Quotas: The 2026 Shift Toward Managed Trade and Strategic Autonomy
Overview
The EU’s new €3 e-commerce parcel duty, effective July 1, 2026, is a major step in regulating online purchases from outside the EU. This duty is part of a broader push to modernize customs procedures, strengthen the single market, and ensure fair competition. By making platforms and sellers the official importers, the EU shifts the responsibility for customs formalities and payments away from consumers. These changes aim to create equitable conditions for all businesses selling goods into the EU, while also upholding strict safety and compliance standards across the market.