The EU minimis officially came into effect on July 1st. Those sending small parcels to Europe should take note of the customs clearance changes.

The EU's new de minimis rules came into effect on July 1, 2026, officially eliminating the €150 tax-free threshold.

Core changes

Old rulesParcels with a declared value of ≤€150 are exempt from customs duties.

New rulesThe tariff will now be charged at a fixed rate of €3 per HS code. If a package contains multiple HS codes, the tariff will be calculated cumulatively.

For example, if a package contains three items with different HS codes, the customs duty would be €9.

Transfer of customs clearance responsibility

The biggest change isn't just the amount of tax—the responsibility for customs duties has shifted from consumers to upstream declarants:

• Seller/Platform/Registered ImporterIt needs to be designated as the applicant.
• Packages without a designated declarant will beRefusal to accept and return
• DHL, FedEx, and UPS have jointly warned that the system transition period may cause customs clearance delays.

What the seller needs to do

1. Confirm the identity of the applicantEnsure that every parcel sent to the EU has a clearly identified declarant.
2. Update product HS codeAccurate HS codes directly affect tariff amounts.
3. Inform the buyer in advanceChanges in tariff costs may require adjustments to pricing strategies.
4. Pay attention to logistics provider notificationsMajor courier companies are updating their systems; please pay attention to changes in customs clearance procedures.

Check shipping costs for European routes:https://exp.czl.net/fee

source:globalpetindustry.com