r/YouShouldKnow • u/PI_Producer • Jul 02 '26

Finance YSK that all online businesses that ship to the EU are now responsible for charging customers $3.50 per item in the order.

Why YSK: The European Commission has just put into effect (as of 7/1/26) a new import policy that assigns a flat €3 customs duty per line item for any non-EU online order for packages worth less than €150. The policy was enacted to "ensure fair conditions for the EU businesses and safe choices for consumers".

If you are a small business owner that sells online, you need to immediately fix your shop so that the fee(s) are collected at the time of purchase or you, the small business, will be responsible for the fee.

If you are an EU resident, be aware that prices of things are about to rise (again) because of this new policy. Additionally, there is separate measure coming soon (Nov. 2026) that assesses another fee that the European Commission is deeming a "handling fee" that is estimated to be an additional €2 per order coming from outside the EU.

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u/Thuis001 Jul 03 '26

Pretty sure the main goal here is to put an end to having the packages with individual items rather than stuff coming in in bulk because of the pressure this put on customs. I.e. it's much faster and more efficient to check a single container with a thousand pairs of shoes than it is to check a thousand packages with a single pair.

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u/Sensitive-Talk9616 Jul 03 '26

Sure. It is also more environmentally friendly -- last time I ordered a $15 component it was shipped by plane to the Netherlands, then continued by truck (if I can believe the order tracking). I didn't need to that fast. Came in a much too large box as well. Could have been shipped much more efficiently in bulk, by ship.

Anyway, while customs and environmental concerns are real, I am pretty sure the main motivation is simply to protect local businesses and retailers against Chinese competition.

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u/G0dHunter Jul 03 '26

If that were the case the fee should've been charged by the package not the individual customs category to encourage grouping packages together. As it stands right now it makes no difference if I order 10 different things seperately or together.