EU adds a €2 handling fee per customs-form line item on business-to-consumer packages

USPS's Delivered Duty Paid page says that as of November 1, 2026, business-to-consumer packages of any value to countries that follow EU customs rules are subject to "a flat, nonrefundable €2 handling fee for each line item on your customs form." This comes on top of the €3 duty per line item that these packages have owed since July 1, 2026 when worth up to €150. Over €150, the €2 fee still applies but the €3 duty doesn't. So a €40 sale of a book and a T-shirt, two lines on the form, owes €6 in duty and €4 in handling fees, plus any country-specific taxes and fees. USPS says Click-N-Ship, Post Office counters, certain USPS APIs and Global Shipping Software work out the amounts from your item descriptions, though not in every case. Where USPS offers Delivered Duty Paid, prepaying adds them to your postage, with a third-party service fee; if you don't prepay, the recipient has to pay before getting the package, and some destinations may require prepayment. USPS also asks businesses shipping to EU consumers for product identifiers. The amount comes from a European Commission delegated act of September 21, 2026, C(2026) 6694: EUR 2 per item. The act applies from the 10th day after its publication in the EU's Official Journal; we haven't confirmed that publication date.

Source: USPS: Delivered Duty Paid page (European Union Customs Duties and Fees) · European Commission: delegated act C(2026) 6694 of September 21, 2026, setting the fee at EUR 2 per item (PDF) · USPS interim final rule on unpaid customs charges, Federal Register, Oct 19, 2026 · verified Nov 6, 2026