From July 1, 2026, the EU introduces a customs duty on low-cost parcels from third countries

From July 1, 2026, a decision of the Council of the European Union abolishes the duty-free threshold of 150 euros on online purchases from third countries, which will affect customers of platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress. Instead of the previous regime, a single European fee of 3 euros will be introduced for all parcels worth less than 150 euros. The measure is aimed at protecting European companies from unfair competition and strengthening control over mass imports.

An important feature of the new rule is that the 3-euro duty is charged for each individual category of goods (customs code) within one parcel, rather than for the shipment as a whole. When purchasing several identical items, the fee will amount to 3 euros, but if the parcel contains goods of different types, the total will increase in proportion to their number. It is expected that platforms registered in the IOSS system will automatically include these charges in the final price at checkout to avoid delays at Cyprus customs.

Example of the price change for a basket of 4 different items:
• Phone case: €3.00
• Charging cable: €2.50
• Pair of socks: €2.00
• Desk lamp: €5.50

Conclusion:Due to duties on each category, the final cost of small orders consisting of various low-cost items increases almost twofold, making such purchases economically unprofitable.