Consumers ordering from platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress will from November 1 have to pay an additional €2 tariff on top of the €3 levy on goods ordered from China.
The charge is for category of products in a single order, affecting Cyprus and Europe in general and follows a European Commission decision that changes the previous duty exemption on low-value parcels, aimed at competition from China and e-commerce platforms that sell thousands of products at very low prices.
The €3 duty charged on purchase, that came into force in the EU on July 1, pushed orders downwards by up to 40 per cent, while the average declared value of shipments rose by approximately 30 per cent, from €8.82 to €11.47.
These figures released by the French finance ministry indicated that the number of parcels had slumped, but demand had not recorded a relative drop, suggesting that the levy had affected the way people shopped rather than what they bought.
Meanwhile, Chinese e-commerce platforms run warehouses in Europe, fulfilling customer orders from within the EU, thus sidestepping the charge.
Even though the companies still pay VAT, import duties and storage and distribution expenses, the cost of sending small parcels individually is slashed.
Charge aims to cover cost of increased checks
The Cyprus customs department said the €2 aims at covering the cost of customs services linked to processing and monitoring works, handling data, risk assessment and the cost of inspecting goods sent directly to consumers.
The responsibility for charging the fee lies with the platform, seller, carrier or representative undertaking to submit the declaration.
The EU regulation was published in the official gazette on September 19 and most of its provisions came into effect on September 21.
The customs department said this was one of the most important reforms of the customs framework in the past decades.
Earlier in the year, it had been reported that in 2025, 5.9 billion low-value items entered the EU, the equivalent of more than 16 million parcels a day.
According to Euronews, for Brussels, the system gave large foreign platforms an advantage over European retailers, who have to comply with the same rules and pay duties on imports.
The European Commission has also highlighted safety concerns.
According to a survey carried out in 2025 in the EU, more than 60 per cent of low-value products inspected did not comply with European requirements or safety standards.
The new rules therefore also allowed customs authorities to better identify products that posed a risk.