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Online shops adapt their procedures following the introduction of the the €3 customs duty
Publication date 03-09-2026, 16:37 | Last update 03-09-2026, 16:38 |
Online retailers appear to have changed the way they import goods into the European Union (EU) since July and August. Dutch Customs has seen a significant drop in the number of incoming small parcels, particularly from China. It seems that more goods are entering the country in larger combined shipments.
Import duties
Since 1 July 2026, the EU has imposed a € 3 customs duty on e-commerce parcels worth up to €150. This specifically applies to goods sold online from countries outside the EU.
The import duty came was introduced to promote fair competition and improve security checks on parcels. In July alone, this resulted in approximately €35 million in additional revenue for the Dutch treasury.
46% fewer declarations
In July and August, Dutch Customs saw the average number of e-commerce declarations fall by 46% compared with the average for the first six months of 2026.
At the same time, the number of e-commerce declaration lines fell by 70%. Declaration lines represent the number of different product categories in a shipment.
Dutch Customs is also monitoring regular declarations:
- The number of standard declarations rose by 20 per cent during this period
- And the number of declaration lines by 30 per cent
Number of e-commerce declarations in 2026
Line chart. The data is presented as a table below the graph.. Data table with 8 rows and 9 columns follows.
| January | 17,627,516 |
|---|---|
| February | 14,159,983 |
| March | 19,576,640 |
| April | 18,869,220 |
| May | 19,172,116 |
| June | 21,995,636 |
| July | 12,541,096 |
| August | 7,651,673 |
Data in table form
| Month | Number of declarations |
|---|---|
| January | 17,627,516 |
| February | 14,159,983 |
| March | 19,576,640 |
| April | 18,869,220 |
| May | 19,172,116 |
| June | 21,995,636 |
| July | 12,541,096 |
| August | 7,651,673 |
Please note: figures for August are up to and including 25 August
Number of e-commerce declaration lines in 2026
Line chart. The data is presented as a table below the graph.. Data table with 8 rows and 9 columns follows.
| January | 58,512,854 |
|---|---|
| February | 48,978,784 |
| March | 66,234,415 |
| April | 66,698,152 |
| May | 69,898,657 |
| June | 71,173,696 |
| July | 25,389,827 |
| August | 13,010,602 |
Data in table form
| Month | Number of declaration lines |
|---|---|
| January | 58,512,854 |
| February | 48,978,784 |
| March | 66,234,415 |
| April | 66,698,152 |
| May | 69,898,657 |
| June | 71,173,696 |
| July | 25,389,827 |
| August | 13,010,602 |
Please note: figures for August are up to and including 25 August
Storage within the EU
The decrease in the number of e-commerce declarations is likely due to online retailers adjusting their business models in response to the import duty. More companies appear to be opting for bulk imports and storage within the EU, from where they can sell their goods directly to consumers.
Dutch Customs will continue to analyse the decrease in the number of e-commerce declarations.
Initial indication
Director-General Nannette van Schelven welcomed the development:
‘The figures provide an initial indication that fewer individual parcels are being sent directly to consumers, making it easier for us to check whether products are safe. It appears that online shops from outside the EU are making greater use of warehouses located in Europe, from which parcels are then shipped to consumers. We are seeing the same trend in neighbouring countries like France and Belgium. We will continue to monitor developments closely in the coming period.’
Additional charge
A further European charge is expected to be introduced in November: the handling fee.
The party submitting the declaration will then pay an additional fee for importing parcels from countries outside the EU. This charge will apply to online shipments valued both up to €150 and above €150. The amount of the handling fee is not yet known.
The revenue will be used to fund the additional parcel monitoring measures, including scanning technologies and AI. This will help Dutch Customs to make more effective selections of shipments that require inspection.