Service Update: Introduction of the EU Customs €2 Handling Fee

On 21 September 2026, the European Commission formalised a new €2 Union Handling Fee. This fee covers consignments sent from non-EU countries to consumers.

Pending final regulatory adoption on 22 October, this fee will be strictly enforced across the EU starting 1 November 2026.

The fee has been introduced by the EU to compensate national customs authorities for the operational workload required to inspect cross-border packages.

What This Means for UK Retailers

To ensure complete compliance and uninterrupted transit times for your EU-bound shipments, please note the following operational impacts:

• Application by Tariff Code: The €2 fee is levied per HS6 tariff classification at the line-item level. Consequently, a single consignment containing products categorised under multiple tariff codes will incur a separate €2 charge for each code present. This is applied in addition to any existing €3 temporary customs duties.
• High vs. Low Value Goods: There is no distinction between high-value and low-value items regarding this new regulation. The handling fee applies universally to all business-to-consumer (B2C) consignments regardless of the total value of the goods.
• Seamless Customs Clearance: Under the new legislation, the fee must be paid by the entity lodging the electronic customs declaration. To maintain a frictionless delivery experience for your customers, OCS Worldwide will automatically pay this fee to customs via our broker on your behalf. The accrued charges will then be passed on to your account.
• Returns Policy: By EU law, these specific customs handling fees are strictly non-refundable, even in the event of a customer return.

If you have any questions regarding how these line-item charges will impact your specific product catalogue, or if you wish to review your current shipping strategy, please contact your OCS Worldwide Account Manager.