The European Union has agreed a major overhaul of its customs regime that will allow regulators to fine online platforms selling unsafe or illegal goods into the bloc, in a move that raises the pressure on cross-border ecommerce operators.
Under the new framework, platforms selling goods into the EU through distance sales will be treated as the importer, making them responsible for customs formalities, duties and product safety compliance rather than the end customer.
Operators that repeatedly fail to meet those obligations could face financial penalties of between 1 and 6 per cent of their annual EU sales, according to Reuters.
The changes come as Brussels tries to get a grip on the vast volume of low-value ecommerce parcels entering the bloc.
Reuters reported that the total reached 5.8 billion in 2025, while the Council of the EU has said 4.6 billion parcels valued below €150 entered the EU in 2024, with 91 per cent of those shipments coming from China.
A key plank of the reform is the end of the current €150 customs duty exemption for small parcels. Until the wider system is fully in place, the EU will apply a temporary €3 customs duty on items in parcels valued below €150 from 1 July 2026.
The Council and Parliament have also agreed a separate EU-wide handling fee for small consignments sold through distance selling, with the level to be set by the European Commission before member states begin applying it no later than 1 November 2026.
The wider reform also creates a new EU Customs Authority and a single EU customs data hub designed to centralise information on incoming goods. Lille was selected this week as the future home of the authority, which is expected to employ around 250 staff.
The data hub is due to go live for ecommerce goods on 1 July 2028, with a phased rollout covering all imported goods by 1 March 2034.
The crackdown is being driven in part by mounting safety concerns around products sold directly to EU consumers from non-EU sellers.
In an EU-wide customs control operation published this month, 65 per cent of inspected cosmetics, 60 per cent of personal protective equipment and 63 per cent of food supplements were found to be non-compliant with EU product rules.
The Commission said many of the goods lacked correct labelling, required documentation or other mandatory safety information.
Pressure on Chinese-linked ecommerce flows is also set to intensify next week, when a nine-member European Parliament delegation travels to Beijing and Shanghai for the first such visit in eight years.
The group is due to meet Chinese legislators and regulators, as well as Shein, Alibaba and Temu, with discussions expected to focus on digital regulation, consumer protection and compliance with EU product safety rules.
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