The European Union will abolish the 150-euro duty-free limit for parcels arriving from third countries, following a sharp rise in low-value shipments, primarily from China. In 2024, 91% of all e-commerce imports under 150 euros originated from China, with parcel volumes increasing from 1.9 to 4.17 billion within a year, contributing to a total of 4.6 billion imports across the EU. Authorities noted widespread practices of splitting orders or false declarations to avoid taxes, creating what the EU Council described as unfair competition for European businesses.
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The measure, backed by all EU member states, forms part of a broader customs reform expected to be finalised by year-end. The reform aims to curb abuse, improve control mechanisms, and encourage third-country retailers to route products through EU-based warehouses to reduce individual parcel shipments and returns.
The Austrian furniture industry has welcomed the decision, calling it an important message to non-EU markets. Industry representatives argue that the environmental and logistical costs of excessive packaging and returns cannot continue to fall on European taxpayers, and view the reform as a first step toward a fairer distribution of responsibilities.
Source: LinkedIn.
