From 1 July, the European Union will introduce a new fee on goods imported from outside the EU as part of wider customs reforms designed to improve the way low-value imports are handled. The changes aim to address the growing number of inexpensive products entering the European market without traditional customs charges.

Although the European Commission says the new measure is not aimed at any specific country or retailer, it is expected to have the biggest impact on Chinese online platforms, which account for a significant share of low-cost purchases made by European consumers.

The new system will apply a fee based on the type of product being imported

From 1 July, shoppers will pay €3 for each product category included in an order. These categories are determined using the EU's TARIC customs classification system, which groups imported goods according to their characteristics.

According to Sapo.pt, this means that even if several items are bought together, they could be treated as different product categories. For example, a T-shirt, a pair of shoes and a phone case could each fall under separate customs classifications, resulting in multiple €3 charges within the same order.

The measure forms part of the EU's broader effort to modernise customs procedures while creating fairer competition between European retailers and sellers based outside the bloc. For consumers, however, the change could reduce some of the price advantage that has made platforms such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress increasingly popular in recent years.