The European Union is putting an end to cheap small packages from Asia, as starting tomorrow, a 3-euro duty will be imposed on small packages imported into the EU. The duty will apply to packages valued at less than 150 euros, which until now have been exempt from all taxes.

The duty will be levied based on the type of item, regardless of the number of items. In other words, if someone receives a package containing two different types of products, they will pay the three-euro duty twice, for a total additional cost of 6 euros.

The European decision comes at a time when low-value purchases through Asian platforms such as Shein and Temu have skyrocketed.

In 2024 alone, approximately 4.6 billion small packages entered the European market, with 91% of them originating from China.

The European Union’s goal is to limit the influx of products into Europe that do not always comply with European standards, as well as to protect European businesses and retailers from unfair competition.

The process

Consumers will be able to pay the duty either upon completion of the online purchase or before the package is delivered. For platforms that do not collect the amount in advance, it will be collected either by the postal service or the shipping company.

See the report by Eleni Michael