After the 3-euro duty: EU introduces new rules for parcels from November 1

The European Union is taking the next major step in changing the rules for small consignments and e-commerce. And this time, it is not about the already introduced 3-euro duty.

From 1 November 2026 a new stage is set to begin… Mandatory product identifiers for covered distance sales of imported goods and the introduction of an EU-wide handling fee for small consignments.

These are two separate changes, coming just four months after the EU abolished the long-standing duty exemption for consignments worth up to 150 euros. In practice, the European regime for low-cost purchases from countries outside the EU is being reorganized in several successive stages, and 1 November is the next date businesses need to mark on their calendars.

The first change is already in effect

From 1 July 2026 the EU abolished the duty exemption for consignments worth up to 150 euros in the relevant distance sales and introduced a temporary fixed duty of 3 euros. It will remain in place as a transitional measure until 1 July 2028, when the new EU Customs Data Hub.

is scheduled to become operational for e-commerce. There is also a detail that is often overlooked: the 3 euros are not necessarily charged just once on the entire parcel.

The duty is determined for each different category of item according to its tariff classification. The Council of the EU gives the example of a parcel containing one silk blouse and two wool blouses. Since they fall under two different tariff subheadings, the total temporary duty payable is 6 euros.

The new regime has been in effect since July. The change in November is a different one.

A new handling fee is coming on 1 November

On 3 September 2026, the Council of the EU gave final approval to the largest reform of the European customs system in decades. One of the most important changes for e-commerce is the introduction of a new EU-wide handling fee for small consignments, sold through distance sales.

Member states must begin applying it no later than 1 November 2026. This is not a new name for the 3-euro duty. The Council of the EU explicitly states that the handling fee is separate from the now-abolished duty exemption for imports worth up to 150 euros and from the temporary customs regime currently in force.

The amount of the new fee must be determined by the European Commission before its application begins. Therefore, it is currently not accurate to assign a specific final amount to all consignments in the EU. The reason for introducing it is different: to cover part of the rising costs incurred by customs administrations in monitoring the huge flow of small consignments entering the EU through e-commerce.

And this is not the only change coming in November

On 1 November 2026 the so-called Product Identifiers, PID, or product identifiers, will also become mandatory. They may be submitted voluntarily from 1 July, but from November they will become a mandatory data element for the relevant distance sales of imported goods.

Behind this seemingly technical term lies one of the most significant changes in the way the EU wants to control e-commerce. European legislation defines a product identifier as a unique alphanumeric code through which a specific model, batch or item can be precisely identified and tracked throughout the supply chain.

In other words, it is no longer enough for a product simply to be described in general terms as “clothing,” “accessories,” “toys” or “electronics.” The customs system increasingly wants to know exactly what product is crossing the border.

For businesses, the issue is no longer just how much the consignment will cost…

This is precisely where the reform becomes significantly more important for companies… The new requirements mean that firms selling or importing goods from countries outside the EU must pay much greater attention to the quality of their product data.

Product codes, tariff classifications, descriptions, origins and manufacturer information can no longer exist in different versions in the store, warehouse, ERP system and customs declaration. An inaccuracy in the product database can be carried throughout the entire chain to customs clearance.

For large online retailers, this means reviewing huge catalogs. For small companies, it may mean having to change the way they collect and store information about goods altogether. That is why preparing for 1 November is not simply a task for the accountant or customs representative. It affects logistics, IT systems, online stores, product catalogs and relations with suppliers.

The EU is shifting responsibility to traders and platforms

The major customs reform is also moving in another important direction.

The new Union Customs Code treats platforms outside the EU and those selling to customers in the EU through distance sales as importers of the goods. This means responsibility for customs formalities and payments must be assumed by businesses, rather than appearing as an unpleasant surprise for the end consumer in Europe when the parcel arrives.

Serious penalties are also envisaged for systematic violations. In the most serious cases, fines can reach 6% of the annual value of the goods imported by the respective company in the previous year, along with the loss of certain customs benefits and other restrictions.

This shows that the EU no longer views the boom in small consignments solely as a logistics problem. It is becoming an issue of customs control, product safety, tax collection and competition in the European market.

Billions of consignments have changed the rules

The reason for the speed of this reform is best seen in the figures.

According to European Commission data, in 2025, nearly 5.9 billion items were imported into the EU through low-value e-commerce consignments. Just one year earlier, the number was around 4.6 billion.

The flow is now so large that the traditional customs model, in which controls are focused primarily on the consignment itself at the border, is becoming increasingly difficult to apply. That is why Brussels is gradually shifting control to something else: data about the goods before they reach the border.

This is precisely where product identifiers acquire their true significance. The more structured information there is about a given product, the easier it is for customs systems to carry out automated risk analysis and separate consignments requiring additional checks.

The next major date is in 2028

The change on 1 November is not the end of the reform.

From 1 July 2028 the new EU Customs Data Hub is supposed to become operational for e-commerce, a centralized European platform through which importers and exporters will interact with customs authorities. It is intended to replace much of the current fragmented system and enable information on the movement of goods to be analyzed centrally.

The temporary regime with the fixed 3-euro duty should also end then, with goods moving to the standard customs tariffs applicable to their category. In other words, the July 2026 change was only the beginning.

What should businesses check now?

For companies importing goods from countries outside the EU or selling remotely to European customers, preparation can no longer be limited to simply calculating a few additional euros on top of the delivery cost. The more important question is whether their systems can provide the information required by the new customs regime.

Every product must be capable of being identified unambiguously. Supplier data must match the information in the product catalog. The tariff classification must be correct. The information must reach the systems used for customs clearance without errors.

With billions of consignments, the EU cannot physically inspect every box. That is why it will increasingly check the data behind the box. And that is precisely the key difference between the duty that took effect in July and the change coming in November. The former made cheap imports more expensive. The latter makes the system significantly more precise, more traceable and harder to circumvent.