the 3 euros just became 5

In July I wrote about the 3 euro duty on small parcels. Now a second charge is coming.

A 2 euro handling fee per item. The Commission fixed the amount in September. If nobody objects before 21 October, it should start around 1 November.

Same counting as the duty. Five T-shirts are one item. A T-shirt and a watch are two. So that order now carries 10 euros before VAT.

And this one is not limited to parcels under 150 euros. Distance sales above that are caught too.

For a cheap phone case, 5 euros is the whole price. For a 90 euro jacket made in Portugal, nothing changes.

That is what I keep telling people. These fees do not make European shops better. They make cheap imports less cheap. You still need a reason for someone to buy from you.

Clearest breakdown of the regulation I found: https://dimweigh.com/blog/eu-2-euro-handling-fee-november-2026

Will 5 euros change how people shop, or will they just pay it?