The Council of the European Union has officially approved new customs rules for small packages entering the EU, which are more often ordered through online shopping.

The new rules repeal the previous customs exemption for shipments worth up to 150 euros, in order to end the unfair competition faced by sellers within the Union, the Council of the EU announced today, 25 February.

According to this decision, a temporary fixed rate of three euros will apply to each product category within small shipments with a value of less than 150 euros from 1 July 2026 to 1 July 2028.

Once the EU Customs Data Center becomes operational, which is expected from 2028, this flat rate will be replaced by standard rates. customs.

“Global e-commerce is booming and EU customs rules must keep pace. Removing the outdated small parcel exemption will support EU businesses and put an end to unscrupulous sellers. We must now move forward with full customs reform, which is a key piece of the puzzle in creating a more competitive and secure Union,” said Makis Keravnos, minister Cyprus Finance.

Example of how this should work: a shipment contains one silk blouse and two wool blouses. Due to the different tariff subcategories, the shipment is considered to contain two separate items and a customs duty of six euros must be paid.

The EU Commission says the volume of small parcels entering the EU has doubled every year since 2022. In 2024, 4.6 billion such parcels entered the EU, with 91 percent of small parcels coming from China.

The EU is also working to reform its customs system to respond to increasing pressure from increasing trade flows, fragmented national systems, the rapid development of e-commerce and a changing geopolitical environment.

Negotiations between the Council and the European Parliament on reform, including the creation of a customs data center under the supervision of a new EU customs authority, are ongoing. /tesheshi.com/

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Source: prizrenpost