EU plans processing fee for small parcels from online retail

Brussels. In the fight against the mass import of cheap products into the EU, a processing fee should be charged for small packages. From November 1st, the new tax will apply to products ordered online and imported into the EU and will be collected by national authorities, as the EU member states announced. Negotiators from the European Parliament and the EU countries agreed on this in March. Parliament now needs to formally agree for this to come into force.

The EU Commission still has to determine the amount of the fee. According to the EU states, the online trading platforms are responsible for the payment - not the end consumers in Europe.

The new rules are likely to affect online retailers such as Shein, Temu, AliExpress and Amazon. The tax is intended to cover the increasing costs caused by the growing number of small shipments from online trading, such as inspection and inspection during import.