The EU's customs reform introduces significant changes for freight forwarders, impacting duties, fees, and data management.
European customs is entering a new regulatory era. In late September, the EU's sweeping customs reform formally came into force and began rolling out in phased stages. The reform is grounded in a clear operational reality: the volume of small parcels entering Europe continues to climb at a significant pace. According to European Commission data, approximately 5.9 billion low-value goods were shipped directly to European consumers from outside the EU in 2025; in the same year, roughly 6 billion e-commerce parcels entered the EU, with more than 90% originating from China. For Chinese freight forwarders and cross-border e-commerce enterprises operating on European lanes, three developments warrant close and early attention.
1. The Duty Exemption on Goods Below EUR150 Is Being Eliminated
From 1 July 2026, the EU has begun dismantling the longstanding duty exemption on imported goods valued below EUR150, replacing it with a transitional flat-rate customs duty of EUR3 applied to qualifying low-value imports. This charge is not levied per parcel but per tariff classification. To illustrate: five identical T-shirts of the same type fall under a single commodity classification and attract a EUR3 duty; a parcel containing one T-shirt and one watch spans two commodity classifications and therefore attracts EUR6. Importantly, this cost is borne by the business rather than passed directly to the end consumer. The EUR3 flat duty represents a transitional arrangement, currently scheduled to remain in place until 1 July 2028, after which affected goods will be subject to standard tariff rates.
2. A New Handling Fee Will Apply to Small Parcels
Beyond the EUR3 duty, the EU's customs reform framework introduces an additional cost structure. A standardized handling fee will be applied to small parcels entering the EU, designed to recover the administrative costs associated with processing low-value shipments through customs. This fee is anticipated to come into effect from November 2026. For logistics enterprises managing high volumes of small e-commerce parcels destined for European markets, the evolving fee architecture across transportation and customs clearance will demand close monitoring in the period ahead.
3. The Establishment of an EU Customs Data Hub
This may prove to be the most consequential long-term development in the current reform cycle for logistics enterprises. The EU is constructing a new centralized EU Customs Data Hub, through which traders will be able to submit customs declarations and product information via a single unified digital platform, eliminating the need to navigate the separate and often divergent systems operated by individual member states. The Data Hub will also aggregate and analyze customs data, providing relevant authorities with shared, real-time intelligence for risk identification and enforcement purposes. In parallel, a new product identifier - the PID - will be introduced to strengthen cargo traceability. The PID will be available on a voluntary basis from 1 July 2026, before becoming mandatory from 1 November 2026. Looking ahead, the breadth of data available to customs authorities will expand considerably, and information across multiple points in the supply chain will be progressively consolidated within this unified data architecture.
For Chinese freight forwarders operating on European trade lanes, the implications extend well beyond the EUR3 duty and the forthcoming handling fee. The accuracy and consistency of clients' product information, importer data, declaration records, and product identifiers will become an increasingly critical compliance consideration. For cross-border e-commerce enterprises, the scope of customs responsibilities borne by platforms is expanding in parallel - a development that underscores the strategic importance of early preparation across every dimension of European market access.
