ONLINE shoppers who enjoy snapping up a bargain on popular websites such as Temu or Shein should prepare for steeper prices from July with the arrival of a new customs tax.
Previously, consumers have been able to buy up to €150 worth of goods without any customs charges as part of a ‘de minimis’ exception – the name given to a rule that disregards small, trivial amounts.
But that will all change from next month thanks to a reform to tax law pushed through by the European Commission.
Legislators say the change, which will apply both in Spain and across the EU, will plug the rapid rise in cheap imports from China, level the playing field for small businesses and reverse the ‘desertification’ of European high streets.
In 2025 alone, almost 5.9 billion items were shipped into the EU without paying any form of custom tax – almost quadruple the number that entered the bloc in 2022.
Around 90 per cent of these parcels came from China, thanks in part to the popularity of low-cost online marketplaces such as Temu and Shein.
Under the new rules, a €3 charge will be applied on all low-value consignments imported from outside the EU.
Importantly, the duty will apply per item type, rather than per parcel.
Officials are keen to stress that the duty is only temporary, with the €3 charge set to apply for just two years.
From July 2028, the rollout of a new EU Customs Data Hub will help to streamline the management of e-commerce imports.
“This reform ensures fairness for all businesses operating within the EU market while keeping customs procedures simple for consumers,” said Maros Sefcovic, the European commissioner for trade.
“By introducing a small duty and stronger product traceability, we are closing loopholes that allowed unsafe and non-compliant goods to enter our market too easily.
“This is a key step in the modernisation of our Customs Union and towards a fully digital, agile and coordinated EU customs system fit for the challenges of our times.”
Research released on Monday by the EU revealed that around 60 per cent of online products imported from outside the bloc were non-compliant with EU law.
That figure was highest with cosmetics and toys, where around 65 per cent of imports failed EU standards.
Last year, EU regulators whacked Temu with a whopping €200 million fine after the company was found to have failed to stop the sale of dangerous and illegal products.
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