Overview
- The European Council rule took effect on July 1, 2026, removing the long-standing de minimis exemption that let parcels valued at €150 or less enter the EU duty-free.
- Each business-to-consumer parcel from outside the bloc now faces a flat €3 charge for every tariff product category in the shipment, with an expected additional €2–€3 processing fee to be introduced later in 2026.
- Carriers are changing operations to comply, and Canada Post has suspended acceptance of parcels to 12 EU countries while it implements compliant solutions and continues service to destinations where buyer-paid duties remain feasible.
- Logistics providers and merchants warn the new rules raise costs and complexity for sellers, with one example showing a $100 apparel order split across three tariff codes could face roughly 20% in extra duties and fees by November.
- The €3 levy is temporary ahead of a full, category-based customs regime scheduled for July 1, 2028, and sector groups such as U.K. book trade bodies are lobbying the government for exemptions citing trade and cultural treaties.