According to the new regulations, sellers and platforms outside the EU that facilitate distance selling will be considered importers. This entails an obligation to provide customs authorities with data, be responsible for paying fees, and ensure that the goods comply with EU legislation. Actors must be established within the EU or represented by an EU-based entity with approved status to counter the use of letterbox companies.
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The EU is also abolishing the current duty exemption for shipments valued under 150 euros. A fee of 3 euros is planned from July as an interim measure. Subsequently, the EU Commission will establish a permanent handling fee per package that member states must begin collecting by November 1, 2026. To facilitate customs controls, e-merchants are encouraged to establish warehouses within the EU and ship goods in consolidated volumes, which may result in a lower handling fee.
Sanctions For Repeated Rule Violations
Companies that repeatedly violate the regulations risk fines of between 1 and 6 percent of the total value of their imported goods to the EU during the preceding twelve months. Customs authorities are also given the power to revoke companies' status as trusted traders.
The reform was developed in response to the volume of incoming packages from non-European e-merchants, which amounted to 5.8 billion shipments in 2025. A recently published study from the EU Commission indicated that between 60 and 65 percent of tested imported products in categories such as cosmetics, dietary supplements, and personal protective equipment did not meet EU safety requirements.
Dirk Gotink (EPP, NL), who led the European Parliament's work on the issue, states in a statement:
Parliament and the Council reached a historic agreement on the most significant reform of European customs legislation since 1968. The new rules address the explosive growth of e-commerce.
Systematic and repeated non-compliance will lead to stricter fines of up to 6 percent of annual imports and suspension of an e-commerce platform online. The goal: an internal market that no longer lets platforms like Temu, Shein and Aliexpress go untouched while placing large quantities of goods that do not meet requirements on the European market and compete unfairly with our companies.
New Customs Authority In France
In connection with the decision, a new EU customs authority (EUCA) is being established with headquarters in Lille, France. The authority will be responsible for a digital data center that will gradually replace the 111 software systems currently used by national customs authorities. The data center is expected to be open for e-commerce shipments in 2028.
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For import and export companies that comply with the rules and cooperate transparently with customs authorities, a system is introduced that allows for fewer controls and greater flexibility regarding payment of fees.
Next week, a delegation from the EU will travel to Beijing and Shanghai to discuss digital regulation and product safety with Chinese legislators as well as with representatives from Alibaba, Shein and Temu. The preliminary agreement must be formally approved by both the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers before it finally comes into force.