The “free ride” for low-value parcels entering the EU has officially hit a wall. Today, the Council of the European Union gave its final approval to a new €3 customs duty on cheap goods imported from outside the bloc.

For years, imported parcels valued under €150 were exempt from customs duties as part of the IOSS (Import One-Stop Shop) mechanism designed for low value goods.

As of 1 July, 2026, that exemption is gone.

The New Rule is a flat customs duty of €3 per unique item and it will apply to goods valued below €150 as a single or combined multi-item shipment. The pain point however is that this duty applies per item category (tariff heading), not just per parcel. If a shopper buys a t-shirt, a toy and a phone charger, it will trigger multiple €3 charges within this single shipment.

This applies to non-EU sellers, specifically those using the IOSS (Import One-Stop Shop) system.