EU customs crackdown on Temu and Shein: New €3 flat fee creates hidden cost trap

The Council of the European Union has approved the abolition of the previous €150 duty-free limit. To stem the influx of cheap Asian imports, a temporary flat-rate tariff of €3 will be introduced in July 2026. However, many agencies did not mention this in their initial reports. These €3 are by no means a flat rate per parcel. The EU agreement clearly states that duty will be levied on each category of goods in a shipment.

"From 1 July 2026, customs duties will be levied on individual categories of goods contained in a parcel." The EU's official calculation example illustrates the harsh reality for bargain hunters: If a customer orders one package containing one silk blouse and two wool blouses, these fall under two different subheadings of the customs tariff. In this case, €6 will be charged for the single package.

If you shop on Temu, Shein or AliExpress and put electronics, T-shirts and decorative items in your virtual shopping basket, the costs can quickly mount up. With charges levied per category, customers could easily end up paying an extra €30 in customs duties.

And that's not all! From 1 November 2026 at the latest, the EU will also charge a separate processing fee for small shipments from outside the EU. The Commission has not yet decided on the exact amount of this fee. To ensure these costs are paid, the EU is holding the platforms directly responsible. In future, sellers such as Temu will be legally considered importers and will be fully responsible for all customs formalities.

With this comprehensive customs package, Brussels is responding to the surge in import figures. According to the EU Commission, around 4.6 billion small parcels entered the European market in 2024, 91% of which came directly from China.