Since 1 July 2026, the European Union has applied a temporary €3 fee on low-value goods (up to €150) entering via e-commerce from third countries.
The first data show a reduction in the volume of shipments from China of around 14-18%, but at the same time an increase in their average value of at least 20%. The average value per parcel, which started at approximately €8.82, has gradually reached €11.47. As a result, the total value of imports may remain high or even rise slightly, despite fewer parcels.
In 2025, approximately 5.9 billion small e-commerce parcels valued under €150 entered the EU, with 93% originating from China. The volume had already doubled compared with 2022. The new fee is not calculated once per physical parcel, but per different tariff category of products contained in it. Thus, a parcel with three different categories can be charged €9. This regime applies until 1 July 2028, when the full transition to the new European customs system is expected.
In Greece, the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) has integrated the measure through H1 and H7 declarations in the ICISnet system, charging €3 per declaration line. This creates for the first time the possibility of systematic monitoring of the behaviour of micro-imports.
Three metrics must be monitored in parallel:
- The volume of direct shipments (how many shipments and how many tariff lines are recorded each month compared with 2025).
- The average value per shipment. The €3 charge corresponds to 30% of a €10 product, but only 3% of a €100 product. It is therefore logical that incentives are created for larger orders and higher value per transaction.
- The shift in logistics. Major Asian platforms can adapt their model by using more European warehouses (fulfilment warehouses), larger wholesale imports and subsequent distribution within the single market. A reduction in direct micro-parcels from China does not automatically mean an increase in the share of European businesses.
A stable monthly monitoring table is needed with key indicators: number of direct shipments from China, percentage change in volume, average declared value, total value of bulk imports of Chinese consumer products, revenue from the new fee, and growth of Chinese stocks within the EU. Only in this way will it be possible to determine whether the €3 fee genuinely reduces Chinese sales or simply transfers the point of customs clearance and storage from China to European gateways.
For Greek trade, the essence lies in the final outcome. Will Europeans buy fewer Chinese products or simply buy them in larger orders? Will part of consumption return to Greek and European businesses, or will the international platforms adapt rapidly? The answers will emerge from the data of the coming months and especially from the comparison of the second half of 2026 with the corresponding period of 2025.
As the president of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EVEP), Vassilis Korkidis, points out, it is no longer enough to count how many micro-parcels arrive from China. “We must see how much real value enters the European and Greek market along with them,” he said.
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