EU introduces new 2-euro parcel fee: What it means for Switzerland

The European Union has introduced an additional 2-euro handling fee on e-commerce parcels imported from outside the bloc. The charge is separate from a 3-euro duty introduced on July 1, 2026. While consumers ordering deliveries directly into Switzerland remain unaffected, the changes impact Swiss retailers selling to EU buyers.

How the EU's new 2-euro fee works

Effective November 1, an extra 2 euros per item line is now charged to cover the rising processing costs European customs services face when processing and checking imports from outside the EU.

Combined with the 3-euro customs duty introduced on July 1 for packages under 150 euros, EU shoppers face a total surcharge of 5 euros per item category.

Crucially, the levy applies per product type, not per parcel. For example, a single order containing a phone charger, a T-shirt and a book will incur three separate fees totalling 15 euros in surcharges, on top of local destination VAT.

Cheap imports drop 60% following July’s 3-euro duty

While the EU is yet to release official information about the impact of the 3-euro levy introduced in July, some countries have given updates.

According to Dutch broadcaster RTL, in July 2026, the first month the fee was introduced, imports of low-value items from outside the EU dropped by 60 percent compared to the same period in 2025.

Despite the sharp decline in order volume, the measure generated 35 million euros in revenue for Dutch customs in its first month alone.

The surcharge hike is part of a broader European effort to manage the overwhelming flood of cheap e-commerce goods, over 90 percent of which originate in China. In 2025, an estimated 5,9 billion low-value items entered the EU, a fourfold increase compared to 2022.

To better monitor incoming goods and protect European businesses from unfair competition, the EU plans to establish a centralised European Customs Authority in 2027.

European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič highlighted that the reform is "a strategic imperative to safeguard our Single Market, strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and economic security, and better protect our citizens".

Are shoppers and retailers in Switzerland affected?

As Switzerland is not a member of the EU and has its own customs rules, anyone ordering a parcel to a Swiss address from, for example, the US, the UK or China, will not have to pay the new fees.

However, Swiss online retailers shipping to the EU are affected. Parcels sent from Switzerland to EU consumers will incur the 2-euro fee, alongside the 3-euro duty if the order value is under 150 euros (around 137 Swiss francs). Business-to-business (B2B) shipments will largely remain exempt. Take a look at the Swiss Post guide for further detail.

Director of the Swiss Retail Federation Patrick Erny believes that the impact of the new fee will be "minor", because retail in Switzerland is "strongly oriented towards the domestic market", reports Blue News.

However, Erny continued to explain that "the increased impact is likely to be felt particularly by specialised niche providers with many direct deliveries to consumers in the EU, as well as providers of inexpensive products with low average order values, since the fees have a greater percentage impact there."

Parts of this article originally featured on IamExpat in the Netherlands.