New customs regulation for e-commerce products from the European Union

European Union countries have approved a new customs regulation aimed at increasing the inspection of products arriving via e-commerce and collecting customs duties more effectively.

Scope of the Regulation and Platform Responsibility

According to the new rules, e-commerce platforms that bring and sell products from outside the EU into member countries will be considered importers. Thus, platforms will be responsible for carrying out customs procedures and ensuring the products comply with standards.

Sanctions and Processing Fees

Companies that fail to fulfill their obligations may be fined up to 6 percent of their imports from the previous year. A processing fee will be charged starting November 1, 2026, to cover the inspection cost of small packages.

New Customs Authority and Data Center

To coordinate the operations of customs, the EU Customs Authority will be established in Lille, France, and the agency will become operational in 2027. The authority will analyze information in the new EU Customs Data Center.

Statistics and Trusted Companies

Companies with a high level of compliance with the rules will be classified as trusted. In 2025, approximately 6 billion e-commerce packages underwent customs procedures in the EU, with over 90 percent of them coming from China.