From 1 November: €2 fee on parcels from outside the EU

From 1 November the EU charges a “handling fee” of €2 per customs category of goods in each parcel from non-EU countries, whatever the order value. It comes on top of the €3 per category duty applied since 1 July to parcels worth up to €150.

What counts is not the number of items but the number of different tariff sub-headings: seven identical wool cardigans cost €2, while a T-shirt, a silk blouse, a charger and a toy already cost €8. In RTVE’s example, a €100 order with four pairs of trousers, a radio and a candle now carries €15 in charges: €9 in duty and €6 in the new fee. Brussels estimates that up to 91% of these small parcels come from China via Temu, Shein or AliExpress.

For Costa Blanca residents who order from Asian platforms, or from the UK since Brexit, purchases will cost more. The consumer federation CECU warns that under EU rules the full final price, including all charges, must be shown from the start of the checkout, not added at the last payment step.