The EU introduces taxes for small packages coming from outside the bloc.

Chinese online retail giants, such as Temu and Shein, will face a new handling fee for small packages arriving in the European Union. The European Parliament and the European Council have voted to introduce this fee, which will come into effect no later than November 1. Although the exact amount of the fee has not been established, it is estimated to be around 2 euros per package, adding to the customs fee of 3 euros for packages valued at up to 150 euros. This measure responds to the influx of cheap items from China, which led to the entry of 5.9 million packages into the community bloc last year, most of which came from China. The new fee will also contribute to hiring a larger number of customs agents. Additionally, Romania has introduced, starting January 1, 2026, a flat fee of 25 lei for each package from outside the European Union, applicable to orders from platforms such as Temu, Shein, or AliExpress.