On 1 July 2026 the European Union introduced a €3 fee on every B2C parcel valued under €150. Within a month Belgian customs reported a dramatic shift in how ecommerce shipments are processed.
EU fee and immediate impact on Belgian customs
“The EU’s €3 fee on low-value ecommerce parcels has already triggered a major shift in how goods enter Europe, with simplified customs declarations in Belgium falling around 50% year on year, according to Belgium’s customs chief, Kristian Vanderwaeren.” The quote comes from The Loadstar, which cited the General Administrator of Customs and Excise, FPS Finance.
The fee, set at €3 per customs item, applies to parcels under €150 and is levied at the point of entry. Its purpose is to curb low‑value imports that evade duties, but the early data suggest it is also reshaping filing behaviour.
| Filing type | July 2025 | July 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| H7 (simplified, ≤ €150) | X | ≈0.5 X | ‑50 % |
| H1 (standard) | Y | Y + 3 million | +3 million |
| Source: The Loadstar – https://theloadstar.com/belgium-welcomes-new-ecommerce-fee-and-steps-up-war-on-non-compliance/ | |||
“Comparing July with the same month last year, Belgian Customs recorded a fall of around 50% in low-value H7 declarations, the simplified declaration for low-value consignments valued up to €150…” the article continued, reinforcing the headline figure.
Shift from simplified H7 to standard H1 filings
At the same time, the number of standard H1 declarations – the full customs process for all imports – rose by about 3 million. “At the same time, H1 declarations, the number of standard customs declarations for all imports, increased by around 3m.” This increase is directly linked to the fee, according to Vanderwaeren, who said the measure is moving more ecommerce traffic into the full customs process.
The surge in H1 filings means customs authorities must process a larger volume of detailed paperwork, conduct more risk assessments and potentially collect higher duties. The Loadstar noted that Belgian customs collected €223 million in duty revenue during the period covered by the presentation, and that “Mr Vanderwaeren estimated that, if current trends continued, Belgian collections could reach €800m‑€900m by the end of the year.”
Inspection rates remain low – “Belgian customs inspected just 0.007% of shipments during the period, yet identified around 60,000 non‑compliant consignments.” – but the rise in standard filings suggests a broader net of scrutiny.
Implications for UK exporters
For UK businesses shipping low‑value goods to the EU, the shift matters. Under the H7 regime, a parcel valued under €150 could be cleared with a simplified declaration, saving time and administrative cost. Moving to H1 means each shipment now requires a full customs entry, commercial invoice details, and compliance checks that were previously unnecessary.
UK exporters will therefore face higher paperwork burdens, longer clearance times and potentially higher landed costs if duties are reassessed under the standard tariff schedule. The increase in H1 filings also signals that customs revenue in Belgium – and likely in other EU member states – will rise, which could translate into stricter enforcement and more frequent inspections.
While the exact cost impact on individual UK firms is not quantified in the source material, the principle is clear: more detailed customs processing typically means higher compliance costs, whether through internal administrative effort or external customs brokerage fees.
Uncertainties and next steps
Vanderwaeren cautioned against a simplistic year‑on‑year comparison. The packet records a contradictory note: “Vanderwaeren cautioned against comparing June with July because ecommerce volumes had surged ahead of the regulation due to stockpiling, suggesting the July spike may be partly driven by pre‑fee behaviour.” This means the 50 % drop in H7 filings could be amplified by a temporary surge in July 2025 volumes rather than a pure fee effect.
Nevertheless, the early evidence points to a rapid behavioural change. The EU fee is still only a few weeks old, and customs data for August and September will reveal whether the trend stabilises, deepens, or reverses as firms adjust their logistics and pricing strategies.
UK exporters should monitor the evolving data, review their customs compliance processes, and consider engaging customs specialists to navigate the new H1 requirements. Early preparation could mitigate delays and cost overruns as the EU customs landscape adapts to the €3 low‑value parcel fee.
In summary, the EU’s €3 low‑value e‑commerce fee has halved Belgium’s simplified H7 filings and added roughly 3 million standard H1 filings in July 2026, a shift that will likely increase paperwork and costs for UK exporters. The full impact will become clearer as more months of customs data are released and as the initial stockpiling effect fades.