New EU Small Import Charges Coming: Yet Another Blow To International Sales
Summary: A discussion was initiated by intimewithmusic about the new EU small import charges that are seen as a potential hurdle for international sales. Various participants contributed, including john_koenig99, marnotom!, transtraders, and rdemaree, sharing their perspectives on how these charges might impact their businesses and international trade. The conversation touched on the challenges these charges present to both sellers and buyers. There was a shared concern among participants regarding the regulatory hurdles and the potential negative impact on their operations.
Hi Sellers,
After listening to The Selling On eBay Radio Show Episode 152 containing info on the Gamestop/eBay topic another issue I was unaware of came up regarding new EU import charges. I asked Google for more info which is duplicated below. If this is accurate it presents similar problems selling to the EU as we now have selling to the USA. Today 5 British pounds = $9.29CAD per package.
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"Q. Is the EU about to add charges to imports?
A. Yes, the EU is set to introduce new charges on imports, specifically targeting small, low-value parcels typically bought through e-commerce platforms like Temu and Shein. These changes are part of a broader customs reform intended to level the playing field for EU-based retailers. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Key Changes and Effective Dates
- Fixed Customs Duty: Starting July 1, 2026, a flat €3 customs duty will be applied to items valued at less than €150. Previously, these low-value goods were exempt from customs duties.
- Handling Fees: A Union-wide handling fee—expected to be approximately €2 per parcel—is slated for introduction in November 2026.
- Note: Some member states, including Romania, Italy, and France, have already introduced their own national handling fees as of early 2026.
- Carbon Border Tariffs: The EU is also beginning to impose carbon-related fees on raw materials (like steel and aluminum) and electricity in 2026, with plans to expand these to finished products like appliances by 2028. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]
Why these charges are being added
- Fair Competition: To prevent unfair advantages for non-EU sellers who previously avoided duties that local sellers had to account for.
- Fraud and Safety: To address high levels of fraud and ensure imported goods meet EU health and safety standards.
- Operational Costs: The handling fee is intended to compensate customs authorities for the administrative burden of processing the massive surge in small parcel volumes. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Long-term Outlook
These flat-rate fees are considered temporary measures. By 2028, the EU plans to launch the Customs Data Hub, at which point all low-value imports will be subject to standard, product-specific customs tariffs rather than a flat fee. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Would you like to know how these new fees might specifically impact shipping costs for individual orders or business imports?
AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses." END OF GOOGLE RESPONSE
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If you would like to hear episode 152 in it's entirety you can find it here:
22 comments
recped
·2 months agoLink to a story from An Post (Ireland national postal service) they and as many of 18 other EU Postal Services are asking for a 6 month implementation delay.
Apparently the final legal text has still not been released nor has the process for collecting been confirmed (original implementation date was July 1).
The final summery statement is interesting and leads me to believe that eBay may be collecting this fee on shipments under 150 Euro just as they now collect VAT.
While the postal chiefs said “significant progress” had been made on developing a system for the payment of the duty, the transition “depends heavily” on the readiness of non-EU postal operators, ecommerce platforms and SMEs.”
malau365
·2 months agoBonjour,
My motto: always go straight to the source for information:
You can find all on European commission site : Accces2Markets-My trade assistant.
You can choose the language.
The main challenge for everyone and for all countries is proof of origin.
Have a nice day.
rdemaree
·2 months agoaccording to google AI stuff made in Canada and EU is exempt from the new fees via CETA
These new rules will primarily hurt people who sell cheap mass produced stuff from asia and south america it seems.
Now im wondering if ebay will cut the ebay labels for international like they did USA and ill have to use 3rd party like I do for USA
All of this hassle when I primarily sell made in Canada stuff and maybe 25% made in EU or USA stuff and literally one or 2 items from China ...what a headache...
wish ebay would do more to help sellers who sell stuff made in north america that are compliant with global free trade deals instead of shrugging their shoulders and shuffling us off into the same line as the cheap made in china/ south america stuff....
marnotom!
·2 months agoThe reason eBay seems to have eliminated labels for items sent through Canada Post to the US is because it can't or won't support Zonos. The reason why we have Zonos is because Trump insists that, contrary to international convention, that items sent through the mail system have to be sent DDP and he hopes that it will be the exporter paying, not the importer. The scheme concocted by the EU seems to be more "by the book" which means that both DDP and DDU will be an option. I've posted to your thread with a bit of elaboration on this.
rdemaree
·2 months agoI am curious tho, does CETA help us at all or is this a trump style across the board hammer to free trade?
Most of my products are made in Canada. Wondering if I would have any wiggle room under CETA like I do with the USA via CUSMA.
and most of the stuff of mine that isnt made in Canada is made in Europe with a few things made in USA.
I dont sell cheap stuff from Asia or South America, which im assuming what this and the USA's policies are targeting primarily.
rdemaree
·2 months agoI dont use and cant use EIS so this means nothing to me other than less customers on my smaller priced items in theory.
Its a shame policies are being enacted by governments abroad to stifle free trade and small business.
Excited for the midterms and 2028 when Democrats demolish the orange cult tho! at least that will be a step in the right direction.
intimewithmusic
OP2 months agoMy understanding is if you sell anything to the EU,regardless of courier or method of commerce, the tariff and processing fees will apply. A flat 3 pounds in July on <150 items and 5 pounds total in November. Not sure if that's per order or per item. I have heard other versions of this and not exaclty sure how it will play out. At this point the EIS comments are only speculatory.
There could be a slight boost of sales prior to the July 1 implementation if the Europeans are aware.
needsmorerobots
·2 months ago3 pounds per category and in november an extra 2pound for the handling fee.
My source:
How is the duty calculated?
The €3 duty will apply to all parcels valued at less than €150 entering the EU. The duty is charged per item category, and not per parcel.
For example, if a parcel contains one silk blouse and two wool blouses, the duty is calculated per category of goods. Silk blouses constitute one category and wool blouses another. A €3 duty is therefore charged for the silk blouse category and €3 for the wool blouse category. In this case, the total customs duty to be paid would be €6.
https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/modernising-the-eu-customs-union/
needsmorerobots
·2 months agoAnd I have no idea why I typed Pounds instead of Euros, sorry.
intimewithmusic
OP2 months ago@marnotom! @needsmorerobots Probably my fault. I forgot there was a difference between pounds and Euros. I gave up trying to understand the "what's what" with Euoropean currencies. I just go by the CAD conversion rate . Maybe it's not 5 pounds = $9.29cad. 5 Euros = $8.04 CAD which is better. Still it's not going to make much difference. We could also find out the two fees, flat tariff and the processing fee will vary between the UK and the EU buyers. Maybe the UK will charge more to protect their domestic business?
If these fees do remain static Canada Post has no excuse not to offer DDU. They should outright refuse any sort of DDP that forces the burden to pay on Canadians. It's not rocket science. They do not need much of a digital framework to do that. After all we can make arms for space stations and send a guy on a trip around the moon. . We don't need another foreign Zonos to add $8 bucks onto a label.
This begs the question,
If Europe and the USA eliminate their De minimis why the heck would Canada not do the same?
marnotom!
·2 months agoWhat I’m not getting is why these amounts are expressed in sterling (pounds) when the UK isn’t part of the EU.
needsmorerobots
·2 months agoThis is all getting to be a bit too much.
Making money isn't the only reason I sell online. Meeting and communicating with people is one of the best things about being a seller. Over the past two years communicating with my customers or with my suppliers are happening less and less. I still try to maintain my open communication, but there is less coming back. Selling is being polished and made sterile by online selling sites that want small time dealers to get in line with corporate business.
To adapt to the new EU policies, I know what needs to be done to keep the currency flowing, but I 'm sure going to miss that human touch.
It's all very depressing.
intimewithmusic
OP2 months agoI agree. The restrictions are getting to a point where it's felling less and less like a democracy.
As you say, " I need to adapt... I know what has to be done",.
I think what you said is very important. That statement says
"In order to sell I need to change how and what I sell". That results in ruined niches that made eBay unique. They were created by sellers who bring amazing experience and expertises to the table selling the things they know most about.
To sell anything now you must forget all about your expertise and migrate out of your niche.
needsmorerobots
·2 months agoAgreed.
Movies and music is my niche.The categories I will switch to I have some knowledge in, but not as much as movies or music. In addition, I sell movies and music because I love them. I'm always looking for new songs to discover or new movies to see.
intimewithmusic
OP2 months agoThis is a shame. You're forced to sell outside your comfort zone not because you want to but because you have to. It's not just that.
It adds pressure to those selling in the categories we move into. For example instead of music memorabilia (dead since August 29) I'm having more sucess with vintage pens and rare household items . The competition in popular domestic categories will increase.
transtraders
·2 months agoebay is moving more and more into amazon-like territory, its been like that for years.
They don't care much about the grassroots small sellers that built it up.
I hate to be so negative, but thats the feeling I get from selling on ebay for 25+ years.
marnotom!
·2 months agoSeems a bit of a throwback to the days when VAT was charged by customs for EU and UK purchases instead of checkout.
john_koenig99
·2 months agoI guess eIS will adjust the shipping costs accordingly...Oh, well. Nowadays everything gets pricier by the week (not to say by the day).
intimewithmusic
OP2 months agoI think you're right about EIS working it in.
I've always enjoyed trying to find ways to compete by selling to other countries... exchanging messages with those buyers... EIS takes the personal part away. I relaize some like it that EIS is the end of their job but for myself It's the personal part that makes eBay different than Amazon. There's no neighborliness left it it any more. It's just about the money, or to be precise , about losing more buyers.
Maybe someone can shed more light on this new problem. This is all I know.
mrdutch1001
·2 months agoThat "personal part" was taken away a long time ago already >yes perhaps the intro of The Global Shipping and now eIS have destroyed that...but it's not just on eBay...my other selling site isn't much different in that respect, and even though there is no eIS for my other site, that personal touch is disappearing as there is so little contact between buyer and seller>there is a transaction but often now there is no communication from the buyer, no feedback, no thank you's , nadda. As a seller I do still message each and every buyer when the item is shipped but more often than not, that's the end of communication. However, I do still enjoy that "personal touch" by selling some items locally through FB marketplace....where a name,a face and conversation truly mean something to the transaction.
intimewithmusic
OP2 months agoI always do the same by sending a note and often a photograph when the orders are shipped. It helped to generate trust leading to repeat buyers.
lotzofuniquegoodies
·2 months ago@mrdutch1001
@intimewithmusic
@john_koenig99
Total agreement. The odds now of getting ANY responses from buyers and even many sellers has become iffy at best. I've always tried to add the extra communication and/or confirm info when required. Due to ebay filters and mail blocks majority of eBay rarely gets any kind of response. When end user does respond in most cases cases they have been extremely appreciative with the extra follow up. Customer service is becoming the dodo bird. Dying off!!
In messaging buyers related to eIS transactions they have almost been shocked when they got my updates or a question to confirm something.
@rdemaree
Re: eIS has and is taking away any personal touch and leaving users with too many questions when anything goes off the rails because the transaction that just won't work or ends up not working after the fact does not include an explanation. No matter how you feel about getting a refund for your time and effort.