Consumers in Cyprus and the rest of Europe will pay an extra 2 euros on goods ordered from China from 1 November, on top of the existing 3-euro duty. The total charge of 5 euros will apply to each category of product in an order, not to each parcel.
A shopper who orders clothing and electronics in the same order, for example, will pay 10 euros rather than 5, and the amount will rise with each additional product category.
The new charge follows a decision by the European Commission and is part of changes to the previous duty exemption for low-value parcels. The measures are aimed at competition from China and from e-commerce platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress, which sell a wide range of products at very low prices.
The 3-euro duty came into force in European Union countries on 1 July 2026. The charge is paid by the consumer when placing the order, not at customs or on delivery.
Fewer parcels
Since July, the number of shipments has fallen by 30 to 40 per cent, according to figures from the French Economy Ministry. Over the same period, the average declared value of shipments rose by about 30 per cent, from 8.82 euros to 11.47 euros.
The figures suggest the duty has reduced the number of small parcels entering the European market, but the drop in shipments does not on its own show that consumer demand has fallen by as much. The data raise the possibility that the duty has had more effect on how people shop, how often they order and whether they group more items into fewer parcels than on demand itself. More data would be needed to confirm this, particularly on the total value of imported goods.
European warehouses
Chinese e-commerce platforms also run warehouses in Europe. They can import goods in bulk and then fill customer orders from inside the EU. Deliveries from these warehouses to consumers are not treated as separate small-parcel imports from non-EU countries, so the per-parcel charges do not apply to them.
The companies still pay VAT, import duties and storage and distribution costs. However, the model can prove cheaper because it cuts the costs linked to sending small parcels to consumers one at a time.
