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Upcoming Changes to Shipping to the European Union

The European Union (EU) is introducing significant changes to how international parcels are treated starting July 1, 2026, with changes to French-bound shipments starting March 1, 2026. Read on to understand what this means for your international shipments with Chit Chats.

Starting July 1, 2026, the European Union (EU) will remove the duty-free entry for low valued shipments (de minimis entry) and replace it with a fixed customs duty. Previously, parcels with a value below €150 entering the EU did not incur customs duties; however, they were subject to value-added-tax (VAT).

The EU is introducing these changes to:

  • Level the playing field between local EU sellers and international non-EU sellers.
  • Address the increase in imports through e-commerce.

According to the conseil, this is part of an initiative intended to unify the EU’s customs processes, with further changes expected in 2028.

Under the new rules:

  • Every parcel with a total value of €150 or less imported into one of the 27 EU member states will be subject to a flat customs duty of €3. 
  • This will be in effect between July 1, 2026 and July 1, 2028 (end date is subject to change).
  • The EU conseil is considering handling fees; however, this has not been finalized at a EU-wide level and currently varies between member states.
    • Shipments cleared in participating EU member states (Luxembourg, Netherlands, and Belgium) will be subject to a €2 handling fee per shipment line item (excluding France). 
    • France has implemented the handling fee as of March 1, 2026.

How This Affects You (Chit Chats International Tracked)

As our international partner is located in the Netherlands, applicable customs duty rules and handling fees will take effect starting July 1, 2026. However, there will be an exception for shipments destined for France (including its overseas territories [Outre-mer] such as Martinique and Guadeloupe). France has implemented handling fees as of March 1, 2026; therefore, shipments heading to this region will follow a different process when no IOSS number is provided.

How will this work? (until July 1)

  • If a shipment destined for the EU includes an IOSS number, it will clear customs in the Netherlands, where our partner processes international shipments.
  • For shipments that do not include an IOSS number, customs clearance will take place in the country of destination. As France is implementing a handling fee ahead of other EU countries, recipients in France will be required to pay a €2 handling fee, in addition to any applicable value-added tax (VAT).

If an IOSS number is provided (after July 1):

  • At this time, we are awaiting further instruction on how handling fees and customs fees will apply for the sender. We will provide further updates once the procedure is confirmed.
  • The VAT will continue to be waived and the recipient will not be required to pay any additional value-added-taxes upon delivery.