On 1 July 2026 the EU removed the duty-free exemption on low-value parcels arriving from outside the EU and replaced it with a €3-per-item customs duty on consignments worth €150 or less. Order a T-shirt from a webshop outside the EU and it now lands with that duty on top. A Fabrixa order is made and shipped inside the EU, so it never crosses an EU customs border and no import duty is added.
From 1 November 2026 parcels sold online from outside the EU also carry a customs handling fee of €2 per item, on top of the €3 duty. An order made in the EU is untouched by that as well: no customs border, no duty, no handling fee.
If you sell physical product into the EU — especially small, frequent print-on-demand parcels — this is the rule change to understand this year. Here is what actually changed, and why producing in Europe sidesteps it.
What changed on 1 July 2026
For years, goods valued under €150 could enter the EU free of customs duty. That “de minimis” exemption is now gone. In its place:
- A temporary flat €3 customs duty per item applies to consignments valued at €150 or less arriving from outside the EU (Council Regulation (EU) 2026/382).
- It took effect 1 July 2026 and is set to run until 2028, while the EU finalises its wider customs reform.
- The duty is levied on the seller or importer — but in practice it lands on the buyer’s total, one way or another.
The EU introduced the measure because the volume of small parcels entering the bloc has risen sharply — billions of low-value packages a year, most of them from outside the EU. Reporting on the change often describes it as “€3 per type of product” at the checkout of non-EU shops; the underlying rule is a per-item duty on sub-€150 consignments. Either way, a cheap parcel from outside the EU now costs more than it did.
What changes on 1 November 2026: a €2 handling fee
The second layer is now fixed. In a delegated act published on 21 September 2026 the European Commission set the customs handling fee at €2 per item for goods bought online from outside the EU. It pays for the customs work on those parcels, from data checks and risk analysis to inspections, and it is separate from the €3 duty, which is a levy on the goods themselves. It takes effect ten days after publication in the Official Journal and by 1 November 2026 at the latest, the deadline written into the new Union Customs Code (Regulation (EU) 2026/2108).
- It stacks on the €3 duty. A parcel line from outside the EU now carries €5 before VAT and shipping.
- The seller pays, not the buyer at the door. The fee is owed by the seller or platform that handles the distance sale; most will pass it on in the price.
- The amount is not final. The Commission reviews it every two years against the real cost of customs supervision.
- More follows in 2028. From 1 July 2028 a second handling fee applies to goods passing through customs warehouses before sale; the temporary €3 duty expires on the same date.
Why this matters for on-demand brands
Print-on-demand and small-batch selling means lots of small parcels — exactly the consignments this rule targets. The maths adds up quickly:
- A €3 duty on a €12 T-shirt is a 25% cost increase on that item.
- From 1 November 2026 the €2 handling fee comes on top: €5 on a €12 T-shirt is more than 40% of the item price.
- On multi-item orders the duty stacks per item, so a small basket can pick up several euros of duty.
- Customs handling from outside the EU also adds transit time and paperwork — friction your customer feels at the door.
Why a Fabrixa order isn’t affected
Fabrixa prints, makes and ships your order inside the EU — from Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands. Goods moving within the EU’s customs union are not “imported” from a third country, so neither the old de-minimis rules nor the new €3 duty apply. Your parcel is an EU-domestic delivery, not a customs import.
That sits alongside the rest of how Fabrixa works: no minimum order (MOQ 1), white-label dispatch under your own brand, and EU-domestic delivery times measured in days rather than weeks.
Outside the EU vs. made in the EU
| Ordered from outside the EU | A Fabrixa order (made in the EU) | |
|---|---|---|
| Import duty | €3 per item (≤ €150) | None |
| Customs handling | Yes, plus a €2 handling fee per item from 1 November 2026 | No — intra-EU movement |
| Typical transit | Long-haul + customs clearance | EU-domestic, a few business days |
| Minimum order | Often high | MOQ 1 |
| Parcel branding | Supplier’s | Your brand (white-label) |
What to do about it
If any of your stock is sourced from outside the EU, factor the new duty into your landed cost — it changes the per-unit economics on low-value items in particular. Producing inside the EU removes the duty entirely and shortens the supply chain, which is the direction a lot of brands were already moving for speed and control. This is general information, not tax advice: the exact customs treatment of any shipment depends on the goods and the destination country, so check your own situation with a qualified advisor.
Do the €3 duty and the €2 handling fee apply to Fabrixa orders?
No. Fabrixa produces and ships within the EU, so there is no third-country import step: no import duty and no customs handling fee is added.
Is the €3 charge per item or per order?
It is a per-item customs duty on consignments up to €150. On some non-EU webshops you may see it applied per type of product at checkout — but it is not a single flat fee per basket.
When did it start, and how long does it last?
It came into force on 1 July 2026 and is a temporary measure expected to run until 2028, while the EU completes its broader customs reform. The €2 handling fee follows on 1 November 2026 and is reviewed every two years.
What is the €2 handling fee from 1 November 2026?
A customs handling fee of €2 per item on goods sold online from outside the EU, set by the European Commission in a delegated act of 21 September 2026 and applying by 1 November 2026 at the latest. It is separate from the €3 duty and comes on top of it, and it is owed by the seller or platform rather than collected from the buyer at delivery. An order made in the EU never enters this process.
Where does Fabrixa produce?
In the EU — Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands — depending on the product and print method.
Want to move production inside the EU? Browse what we make, order a Sample Pack to see the quality first-hand, or talk to our team about your range.
