The EU is preparing to remove the €150 de minimis threshold.

From 1 July 2026, every low‑value parcel entering the EU will require full customs data — plus a new €3 per‑item customs dutyand additional carrier admin fees.
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For brands shipping direct to EU consumers, this means:

• Higher landed costs (new per‑item duty plus carrier processing fees)
• More customs friction (mandatory data checks on every parcel, not just those above €150)
• Greater risk of delays, failed delivery, and unhappy customers if charges are due at the door.

What ‘full customs data’ usually means in practice: accurate HS codes, itemised product descriptions, country of origin, declared value, EORI/VAT details where relevant, and consistent commercial invoice data matched to the parcel label. Many carriers will also require richer electronic data in advance (not after the parcel is in transit).

What to do now (before July 2026):

• Audit your EU order profile (AOV, SKU count, top destinations, return rates)
• Clean up product master data (HS codes, descriptions, origin, weights, values)
• Model the new landed cost per SKU (duty + carrier admin + any VAT impacts)
• Decide your delivery promise: DDP vs. duties/taxes on delivery (and the CX risk)
• Stress‑test your current carrier/broker setup for higher data and clearance volume

This is why many brands are shifting to EU-based fulfillment

By fulfilling from within the EU, businesses can avoid the import customs border for each customer order — delivering faster, more predictably, and without surprise charges at the door. Depending on your model, options include holding stock in an EU warehouse (3PL), shipping to the EU in bulk and clearing once, and using DDP/IOSS pathways where appropriate to keep checkout pricing transparent.
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Who will feel this most: high‑SKU catalogues, low AOV orders, and brands relying on “ship from UK/US/Asia to EU customer” as the default. The more parcels you send, the more the per‑item costs and clearance touchpoints add up — which is why operational planning (data, processes, and fulfillment footprint) matters as much as pricing.
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At F4E Fulfillment, we’re already helping brands adapt their EU delivery strategy ahead of these changes.
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If you sell into the EU, now’s the time to plan — not react. A small amount of work on product data and fulfillment setup now can prevent cost shocks and delivery issues later.
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Learn more about F4E services