Customs on small parcels from 1 July 2026: what €3 per item means for Temu and Shein

If you regularly order from Temu, Shein or AliExpress, cheap shipments from China are getting more expensive from summer 2026. The Council of the European Union has agreed that from 1 July 2026 the existing customs exemption for small parcels is removed and a flat customs charge is introduced. In this guide we explain exactly what changes, how much you'll really pay and how to calculate the cost before you click "Order".

What changes from 1 July 2026?

Until now, shipments worth up to €150 were exempt from customs duty (but not from VAT). That very exemption let platforms like Temu and Shein send goods from China directly to customers with no customs cost. The EU considers this a loophole — in 2024 alone about 4.6 billion such small parcels entered the EU.

So the EU Council is removing that exemption. From 1 July 2026, goods in small parcels worth under €150, shipped directly to consumers in the EU from countries outside the Union, will be charged a temporary flat customs duty.

How much is the new customs charge?

The charge is €3 per type of product in the parcel. The key is to understand it's not charged per parcel, but per category of goods (tariff code). That means:

• If a parcel contains several units of the same product, the €3 charge applies only once.
• If a parcel contains different types of products, €3 is charged for each category separately.

Is it paid instead of VAT or on top of it?

On top of it. VAT on shipments from outside the EU has been charged since 2021, when the old exemption for shipments up to €22 was removed. The new €3-per-product-type charge is an additional cost that comes on top of VAT and the price of the goods. In other words, for cheap items the customs amount can sometimes exceed the price of the product itself.

How long does this system last?

The €3 flat rate is a temporary solution. It will apply from 1 July 2026 to 1 July 2028, with a possible extension. Once the EU's new customs data system is fully operational, this flat rate will be replaced by standard customs rates based on the type of goods.

Alongside customs, as part of a wider customs reform the EU is also preparing a separate handling fee for parcels, intended to cover the cost of processing the huge number of parcels. That fee is a measure separate from the €3 customs charge and is introduced when member states' technical systems are ready — follow announcements from your national customs authority and postal service for the final details and how it's charged.

What about EU warehouses, iHerb and webshops from other countries?

The key rule: the €3 charge depends on where the parcel physically ships from, not on whose brand it is. A shipment arriving directly from a country outside the EU is subject to customs; goods shipped from a warehouse within the EU are not.

Temu, Shein and EU warehouses

Precisely because of the new rules, Temu and Shein increasingly keep goods in warehouses and distribution centres within the EU. When your order ships from such a warehouse, it's treated as a domestic EU shipment, so the €3-per-product-type charge does not apply — the goods were cleared earlier, in bulk. So when ordering, check whether the item ships from the EU or directly from China.

Webshops from other countries (iHerb, UK, Switzerland…)

The same rules apply to every webshop shipping from a country outside the EU, not just Chinese platforms. For example, iHerb ships from warehouses in the US and Asia, so orders under €150 are subject to the €3-per-product-type charge (plus VAT). The same goes for UK stores (outside the EU after Brexit) and Swiss webshops.

On the other hand, buying from a webshop within the EU — or from a foreign brand that ships from an EU warehouse — is not affected: no customs, and VAT is already included in the price. So before ordering, always check which country the goods actually ship from, not just where the store is based.

What does this mean for you as a shopper?

1. 1Calculate the cost upfront. Before ordering, count how many *different* product types you're adding to the basket and multiply by €3.
2. 2Combine identical items. Several units of the same thing in one shipment carry only one €3 charge.
3. 3Compare with local stores. For cheap small items, an extra €3 per item often matches or exceeds the price at retailers within the EU.
4. 4Check who pays the customs. Some platforms may charge customs at order time, others have the courier collect it on delivery — read the terms before paying.

Buying outside the EU can still be worthwhile, but the maths changes. For more expensive single items the impact of the €3 charge is small; for baskets full of cheap small items the cost can grow significantly. Before your next order, compare the total price — including customs and VAT — with offers from the verified stores we track on Ulovi.eu.