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Austria — Online shoppers will soon feel a noticeable price increase when ordering goods from outside the European Union. Beginning 1 July 2026, the EU will abolish the long‑standing €150 duty‑free threshold for low‑value imports and replace it with a €3 flat customs fee per product category. The change affects all consumers in Austria and across the EU — from bargain hunters on Temu and Shein to those ordering from the UK, Switzerland or the United States.
What changes for consumers
The new fee applies per product category, not per parcel. That means mixed orders become more expensive:
- A phone case, charging cable and piece of jewelry in one package → €9 total customs fee
- Two different T‑shirts → €3 total
Orders from major Asian platforms — Temu, Shein, AliExpress — are expected to be most affected, but shipments from the UK, Switzerland or the US will also incur the fee.
Why the EU is introducing the fee
The European Commission argues that the previous system created unfair competition: EU retailers must comply with strict rules on product safety, taxes, environmental standards and consumer protection. Many third‑country sellers, however, could ship low‑value goods with minimal checks — and often split larger orders into multiple small parcels to avoid customs duties.
According to EU data, 5.8 billion low‑value parcels entered the Union in 2025 — around 15.9 million packages per day. Customs authorities have long struggled to inspect this volume, leading to market distortions.
Impact on Austria’s e‑commerce market
Asian platforms have become major players in Austria:
- Temu: €646 million gross merchandise value — Austria’s second‑largest online marketplace
- AliExpress: €236 million
- Shein: €192 million
The Austrian Retail Association welcomes the new fee. Managing director Rainer Will calls it “a long‑overdue step toward fair competition,” arguing that European businesses and taxpayers have been subsidizing the true cost of cross‑border parcel flows for years.
What comes next
The €3 fee is a temporary measure until the EU’s major customs reform in 2028. That reform will introduce:
- EU‑wide platform liability
- A central customs data hub
- Stricter oversight of third‑country sellers
Additionally, the EU plans to introduce a €2 handling fee for non‑EU parcels as early as November 2026, aimed at covering administrative and inspection costs. Retailers urge rapid implementation.
No national solo efforts
The Retail Association warns against national “package taxes” or unilateral measures. Past attempts in France, Italy and Romania failed, and Will stresses that only EU‑wide rules can regulate global online trade effectively.
- source: heute.at/picture: pixabay.com
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