According to www.aircargonews.net, the European Union ended its de minimis customs exemption for low-value parcels on 1 July 2026, introducing a mandatory €3 customs duty per item for imports valued below €150.
Immediate impact on e-commerce air cargo
The new rule applies to all low-value parcels entering the EU from outside the bloc—primarily via e-commerce channels—and covers common online purchases including clothing, toys, electronics, and other consumer goods. Unlike previous frameworks, the duty is levied per item, not per shipment, based on tariff classification rather than quantity. The European Commission confirmed that responsibility for declaring and paying the duty falls on the seller or importer as part of standard customs clearance.
This shift follows the US government’s decision in April 2025 to eliminate the $800 de minimis exemption for Chinese imports—a move later extended to all countries of origin by the end of August 2025. That policy triggered a measurable rerouting of China-origin e-commerce volumes toward Europe, though US-bound shipments have since largely recovered.
Compliance challenges and national fragmentation
Logistics operators expressed alarm over the timing: official guidance was published just weeks before the 1 July 2026 implementation date. David Jinks, head of consumer research at Parcelhero, noted that “if a parcel contained multiple items, each one of those would need to pay a €3 charge”—significantly altering cost structures for cross-border sellers.
A coalition of logistics and parcel firms formally requested a phased rollout in May 2026, warning that critical infrastructure—including the EU Customs Data Hub scheduled for 2028—was not yet operational and that premature enforcement risked supply chain bottlenecks and shortages of essential medical supplies.
- Romania introduced a RON 25 logistics tax effective 1 January 2026
- France enacted a €2 small-parcel tax starting 1 March 2026
- Italy will implement its own €2 Customs administration fee beginning 1 July 2026
“The patchwork of national charges emerging across member states is a real headache,” said Jinks. “UK retailers can no longer treat exporting to the EU as a single, uniform exercise.” He added that smaller businesses face disproportionate compliance burdens navigating both the EU-wide tariff and divergent national fees.
Temporary measure with long-term implications
The €3 duty is explicitly temporary—designed to bridge the gap until the EU Customs Data Hub launches in 2028. That system will replace 27 national customs platforms with a unified digital infrastructure enabling automated duty calculation for all parcels. At that point, the €150 de minimis threshold will be fully abolished.
The European Commission justified the reform by citing widespread non-compliance: “Every day, millions of low-value parcels enter the EU. Many contain products that do not meet EU safety standards or are undervalued or falsely declared to avoid customs duties.” It further stated: “The current customs duty exemption gives non-EU sellers an unfair advantage over businesses that manufacture or sell products in the EU.”
“The new measure will help create fairer competition for EU businesses, better protect consumers from unsafe products, tackle customs fraud, and address environmental concerns over mass shipping.” — European Commission
Additional financial pressure may follow later this year: Jinks flagged a separate €2 processing fee expected in November 2026. Meanwhile, airfreight analytics platform Xeneta projected slower e-commerce growth in 2026 due to rising shipper costs, stricter tax reporting requirements in China, and declining consumer purchasing power.
Despite these headwinds, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) maintains confidence in sustained demand, stating that e-commerce will continue to drive air cargo volumes globally. The UK is also evaluating removal of its own de minimis exemption—but not before 2029.
Source: Air Cargo News
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
