New levy on non-EU parcels kicks in November 1

Starting November 1, the European Union will impose a two-euro handling fee on packages shipped from outside the EU, as part of efforts to curb the volume of imports linked to China. The new charge applies on top of the EU’s existing three-euro fee for small parcels and will be calculated per item type in a package: for example, 10 T-shirts would trigger a two-euro charge, while a box with two hats and 10 T-shirts would cost four euros. Nearly six billion small packages entered the EU last year, with 93% coming from China.