Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
New European Union rules on taxing small parcels did not lead to the expected drop in shipments from Ukraine. Even though Ukrainians now have to pay 3 euros extra for the shipment.
What changed for parcels to the EU
Since 1 July 2026 of the year, the European Union abolished the duty-free threshold for parcels valued up to 150 euros. Ukrposhta's CEO Ihor Smilyanskyi told Interfax-Ukraine whether this affected Ukrainian parcels.
It is known that for B2C distance-selling falling under the new rules, a temporary fixed duty – 3 euros per item listed in the customs declaration – now applies.
It was expected that additional costs could affect the number of international parcels. However, the Ukrainian postal service has not yet seen such an effect: after the new regime was introduced, the volume of shipments from Ukraine to EU countries did not decrease.
At the same time, in some European directions, the postal operator, on the contrary, is seeing an increase in the number of shipments.
According to Smilyanskyi, the company prepared in advance for the new rules and integrated with European countries. This allows necessary charges to be automatically calculated already at the parcel processing stage.
So the sender does not need to independently figure out the new customs rules of each country – the system accounts for the necessary payments during processing.
The duty in 3 euros will not be in effect forever
The EU mechanism is temporary. It is to apply until 1 July 2028 of the year. By that time, the EU plans to launch the EU Customs Data Center. After its launch, permanent tariff rates for such shipments should come into effect.
For now, as the new system is just starting to operate, Ukrainian statistics from Ukrposhta indicate that the mere introduction of additional duty did not force shippers to massively refuse shipments to Europe. In some directions, demand for international shipments continues to grow.
Why Europe opposes cheap parcels
The change primarily affects goods from popular Chinese marketplaces, notably Temu and Shein, which in recent years have rapidly increased sales in Europe.
It is known that the number of cheap parcels entering the bloc has risen more than fourfold—from 1,3 to 2022 year to 5,9 to 2025 year. About 90% of parcels come from China, and competition from online platforms, including Shein and Temu, hits European retailers hard.
Another reason for tightening rules was the results of checks on imported products. The European Union’s research showed that 60% of items purchased online outside the bloc do not meet European safety requirements.
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