30 March 2026
The EU Council are currently negotiating the introduction of a €2 customs handling fee on low‑value imports (under €150), with an initial start date of November 2026.
If introduced, this charge would be in addition to the €3 customs duty that the EU has formally adopted and will apply from 1 July 2026.
Several EU countries including France, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, are already pushing to bring the handling fee forward so that it could begin as early as 1 July 2026, aligning it with the introduction of the new customs duty.
If adopted, the €2 fee is officially intended to help fund enhanced customs supervision and fraud‑detection activities, reflecting growing concerns among Member States about increasing VAT and customs fraud linked to small‑value imports.
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