A new EU handling fee on low-value parcels mostly matters to US sellers shipping into Europe. For US shoppers, the bigger change is closer to home: the federal duty-free de minimis exemption for imports under $800 has been suspended since August 2025.
Key points
- The EU’s new €2 “Union handling fee,” in effect since November 1, 2026, applies to parcels entering the EU from non-EU countries. It mainly affects US-based sellers (Etsy shops, small e-commerce merchants) shipping to EU customers, not US shoppers.
- Separately, and more relevant to US buyers: the Section 321 de minimis exemption, which let shipments worth $800 or less enter the US duty-free, has been suspended since August 29, 2025 under Executive Order 14324, reaffirmed by Executive Order 14388 in February 2026.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued an interim final rule, effective June 24, 2026, requiring formal or informal customs entry for most low-value shipments arriving by modes other than the international postal network.
- For items shipped via international mail, CBP has offered carriers a choice between a flat per-item duty of $80 to $200 (available for a limited window) or an ad valorem duty based on the shipment’s declared value and country of origin.
US shoppers ordering a cheap item from a non-US seller can now run into new duties that didn’t apply a couple of years ago – but it isn’t the EU’s new handling fee doing it. That €2 charge applies only to parcels entering the European Union. The relevant change for American buyers is the federal suspension of the de minimis exemption that used to let low-value imports enter duty-free.
What the EU’s new fee has to do with US shoppers
The European Commission’s Union handling fee of €2 per item, in effect since November 1, 2026, is charged to the customs declarant handling low-value, non-EU parcels entering the EU customs territory. A separate temporary €3 customs charge for items worth up to €150 has applied since July 1, 2026, under Regulation (EU) 2026/382. Neither fee applies to goods shipped into the United States. The group actually affected are US-based sellers and small merchants — on Etsy, eBay or their own stores — who ship products to customers in the EU; logistics providers may pass these costs on to them.
The rule that actually hits US shoppers: the end of duty-free de minimis
Since August 29, 2025, the United States has suspended the Section 321 de minimis exemption under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C), which previously let shipments valued at $800 or less enter the country free of duty. The suspension, ordered by Executive Order 14324 and continued by Executive Order 14388 (February 20, 2026), was formalized in a CBP interim final rule that took effect June 24, 2026 and amended 19 CFR 10.151. According to the Federal Register notice, U.S. Customs and Border Protection processed more than 1.36 billion de minimis shipments in fiscal year 2024, up from 139 million in 2015 — about a tenfold increase, which the agency cites as part of its rationale for ending the exemption.
For shipments arriving by modes other than international mail — commercial couriers and cargo — goods must now go through formal entry (generally for shipments valued at $2,500 or more) or informal entry procedures, and CBP “continue[s] to inspect such goods and collect applicable duties, taxes, fees, exactions, and charges,” per the rule. The simplified “Entry Type 86” release process for low-value shipments has been suspended; CBP notes that formal/informal “Entry Type 11” is now the main route for these packages.
Packages sent through the international mail network
For items arriving via international mail — common for small overseas sellers and marketplace orders — CBP has given carriers a choice of two collection methods, as summarized by trade-compliance reporting that references the relevant executive order: a flat specific duty of $80 to $200 per item, depending on the IEEPA tariff rate that applies to the country of origin (available only for a limited window after the de minimis suspension began), or an ad valorem duty calculated as a percentage of the item’s declared value at that same country-specific rate. Shipments by other transport modes worth up to $800 remain subject to all applicable duties under the regular entry procedures described above. Allowances for returning travelers — $200 for personal items and gifts up to $100 — are unaffected.
What this can mean for a $50 item bought from a small overseas shop
- Before August 2025: under $800 and shipped as a single package — generally duty-free under Section 321.
- Since the suspension: subject to either a flat $80–$200 per-item duty (mail, limited window) or an ad valorem duty at the applicable IEEPA rate for the country of origin — or, for non-mail shipments, formal/informal entry with all applicable duties, taxes and fees.
Illustrative summary by Net Trends based on the CBP interim final rule and related executive orders; it is not a prediction for any specific item or shipment, and the applicable rate depends on the country of origin and current IEEPA tariff schedule. Prices below exclude any state or local sales tax, which is a separate, state-level charge.
Checklist for US shoppers
- Don’t assume an order under $800 from outside the US is automatically duty-free anymore — that blanket exemption has been suspended since August 2025.
- Check whether the seller or marketplace already collects duties at checkout (many large platforms now do, to avoid surprise bills on delivery).
- Remember that any price shown by an overseas seller is typically before state and local sales tax, which is charged separately on import in many cases.
- For the current legal text and any updates, check the Federal Register and CBP’s own guidance rather than third-party estimates.
Frequently asked questions
Does the EU’s new €2 handling fee apply to packages I order from Europe?
No. That fee is charged on parcels entering the European Union from non-EU countries. It has no bearing on shipments coming into the United States, which follow US customs rules instead.
Is the $800 de minimis exemption completely gone?
It is suspended, not formally repealed in law — a separate federal statute (the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) sets a legal end date of July 1, 2027, but the exemption has been inoperative since August 29, 2025 under executive action, confirmed by a CBP interim final rule effective June 24, 2026.
How much extra will I pay on a small package from overseas now?
It depends on the item’s value, its country of origin and how it’s shipped. For items sent by international mail, carriers can choose between a flat $80–$200 per-item duty or an ad valorem duty based on the applicable IEEPA rate; other shipment types go through formal or informal entry with all applicable duties and fees. There’s no single flat number that applies to every order.
Sources and status
- Federal Register: Indefinite suspension of the de minimis exemption (CBP interim final rule, June 24, 2026)
- Value Added Resource: summary of the de minimis suspension and the postal per-item/ad valorem duty options (updated August 2025; background reporting, not a primary source)
- European Commission: EU Customs Reform – Union handling fee (background on the EU-side rule)
- EUR-Lex: Regulation (EU) 2026/382 on the temporary €3 EU customs charge
Research and data as of: November 2, 2026.
Transparency note: AI-assisted tools were used in researching, structuring and writing this article. The sources used are listed in the article. Publication takes place only after manual editorial approval. Country edition based on an article from Net Trends, researched for the United States. The cover image is an AI-generated illustrative image and does not show a real customs facility or an actual shipment.
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