Shopping up to € 150 in shops outside the EU will be charged € 3 from Wednesday

Starting this Wednesday, consumers in the European Union will face new customs regulations when purchasing goods valued up to 150 euros from sellers located outside the EU. Under these updated rules, individuals making such purchases will now have to pay a flat fee of three euros per type of product included in their order. This change aims to address concerns about unfair competition faced by EU-based retailers, who currently bear the burden of customs duties on such imports.

The Council of the European Union highlighted in February that these measures were introduced because current practices allowed such orders to enter the EU without paying import duties, creating an uneven playing field for domestic businesses. The new policy seeks to level the economic landscape by introducing this additional cost for non-EU imports.

According to the Portuguese postal service, CTT, the three-euro charge applies per item category within an order. For instance, if a customer buys one silk shirt and two wool shirts, the purchase would be considered as containing two distinct types of items, resulting in a total customs duty of six euros. In addition to this fee, buyers will also need to account for Value Added Tax (IVA), applicable customs duties, and potential costs associated with customs clearance services, depending on the nature of the goods being imported.

CTT has advised consumers to verify where products are stored before making online purchases, considering how this regulation might affect the overall cost of their purchase. They emphasized that if the payment for VAT and customs duties isn't made during checkout, customers could end up having to cover these expenses upon delivery, along with the cost of customs clearance services.

Portuguese postal services have warned that due to the high volume of e-commerce shipments affected by these changes and the necessary adjustments to customs systems and procedures, there may be temporary disruptions. Delays in processing times could occur as the system adapts to the new requirements.

This three-euro fee is set to apply from July 1st, 2026, until July 1st, 2028, and could potentially be extended if needed, according to officials in Brussels. Once the new EU customs data platform becomes operational, this provisional fee will be replaced by standard customs duties.

According to the European Commission, the number of small orders arriving in the EU has doubled annually since 2022. In 2024 alone, nearly 4.6 billion such orders entered member states, with 91 percent originating from China. These statistics underscore the significance of implementing new customs policies to manage the growing influx of international e-commerce transactions and ensure fairer trade conditions for all participants in the market.