2026-07-03
Germany has ended its customs duty exemption for low-value goods shipped from outside the European Union, a change that took effect on July 1 and will raise the cost of many small online purchases entering the country.
The German Finance Ministry said goods in postal shipments valued below €150 are no longer exempt from customs duties. In place of that threshold, authorities now apply a flat import charge of €3 for each product category, or “item,” in a shipment. Value-added tax still applies at 19% or 7%, depending on the product.
The ministry said the measure follows a decision by the EU’s Economic and Financial Affairs Council, known as ECOFIN, on Dec. 12, 2025, to abolish the €150 customs exemption. The related regulation is now in force across the bloc.
Under the new system, the charge is not based simply on the number of units in a parcel. German officials gave the example of a shipment containing 10 pairs of socks, which would incur one €3 charge because it is treated as one item category. But a parcel with 10 pairs of socks, two cable ties and four pairs of pants would face a total charge of €9, reflecting three separate categories.
For higher-value goods, the ministry said the usual tariff rates remain in place.
The rule applies based on the moment goods enter the European Union, not when they were ordered. That means purchases placed before July 1 can still be affected if they arrived in the EU only after that date.
German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said the policy is meant to curb what he described as a flood of cheap goods, especially from China, into online retail channels. In a statement released by the ministry, he said stricter customs rules adopted at the EU level are intended to protect brick-and-mortar retailers, jobs and consumers, while also addressing unfair trade practices, fraud and potentially dangerous products.
For consumers, the ministry said day-to-day processing may not change much because transport providers usually handle customs formalities and advance the charges. In some cases, online sellers may include those costs during checkout, making it important for buyers to review order terms and conditions before completing a purchase.
The ministry also drew a distinction between the new flat customs charge and any separate handling fee that may be introduced later as part of broader EU customs reform. That additional processing fee is expected no later than November 2026.
The change matters for beverage companies and merchants that sell directly to German consumers from outside the EU through e-commerce channels. Small shipments of wine, spirits and other drinks that previously entered under the €150 threshold may now face added import costs on top of VAT, which could pressure margins or lead to higher final prices for buyers. It could also complicate pricing and fulfillment for specialty beverage retailers that rely on cross-border direct-to-consumer sales into Germany.
The measure comes as European policymakers tighten scrutiny of low-value imports tied to fast-growing online marketplaces. In Germany’s case, officials have framed the move as both an economic protection measure and a consumer safety step within a wider EU effort to reshape customs controls for small parcels.