Changes to EU de minimis customs rule: get smart with our world-class fulfillment services

E-commerce parcels coming into the EU from outside are subject to a customs duty of €3 per declarable item, in a change from 1st July 2026.

You can read all the detail on the European Commission website, however here are two examples to outline the rules. 

Simon Volkwein, Regional Head of DHL Fulfillment Network, EMEA and UKI, tells us more about what sellers can expect: “Aside from the obvious increase in costs, there is also the question of who pays for the customs charges. Is the merchant going to cover these costs (this is known in logistics as ‘Delivered Duty Paid’ or DDP), or are they going to pass them onto the consumer? There needs to be clear communication around this so that customers don’t receive a surprise customs charge.”

There is a time consideration, too. “Customs clearance takes time. And customers don’t tend to like to wait!” says Simon. A delay on even one order can cost a merchant their reputation. “You could end up losing consumers who have had a bad experience, following a delay that you haven’t even caused.” Customs clearance also takes longer during busy periods, so sales forecasting and inventory management will be increasingly important, especially to manage peak seasons. Given the circumstances, the customer experience can suffer significantly, leading to an overall drop in conversion as shoppers look for alternatives.

There is also more paperwork for merchants to complete and new processes to follow. These include providing Product Identifier codes and declaring your goods using a platform you may not have used before. “Compliance with this whole new approach will be very important.”

Simon tells us how sellers are getting smart: “Sellers outside the EU are already using their fulfillment approach as a value driver: they are warehousing stock in the EU. Yes, the customs duties still apply, but rather than the time and costs being applied to multiple single parcels coming from, say, China, into the EU, the goods go through bulk clearance, meaning that the customs processes and charges apply to a far smaller number of bulk shipments and way before they impact the ultimate customer experience.”

Nearshoring goods close to end consumers in this way has other distinct benefits: it means shipping distances are much smaller, bringing transportation times and costs down. It also reduces a merchant’s carbon footprint, which can form a significant part of a company’s sustainability plans. “We have seen an uptick in customers wanting to warehouse their goods in the EU in light of the new customs regulations, and they comment that they find these additional benefits are a considerable bonus too,” observes Simon.

“DHL Fulfillment Network has been offering this nearshoring model since its inception. We have a network of warehouses spread across the world, including the EU, and we’re growing all the time!” says Simon.

“We offer customers flexibility, so they can scale up in busy periods and scale back down again. Our advanced inventory insights tool is extremely useful as it gives our customers visibility of their stock levels and movements by location, allowing them to make data-driven decisions – all the more important with the change in EU customs.”

This fulfillment model is going from strength to strength, allowing companies to focus their time on what they do best, and leave logistics to the experts. Simon concludes: “We are finding that navigating this new customs landscape has led to a surge in demand for a product like ours. Customs clearance is done in bulk, and their stock is then in the hands of experts who will pick and pack and dispatch, getting parcels to consumers swiftly and reliably.”

Onboarding with DHL Fulfillment Network takes only a few short weeks and includes integration with webshops such as Shopify and WooCommerce or a merchant’s own ERP.