The era of cheap orders from Temu and Shein is getting a new price tag. From 1 July, the European Union is introducing a flat customs charge of 3 euros on every small parcel worth under 150 euros - a category that today covers as much as 93 percent of all orders in the Union.

The temporary charge will apply from 1 July 2026 to 1 July 2028. The aim is clear: to curb the enormous flood of cheap goods arriving daily through the Asian platforms, to stop the undervaluing of goods, and to protect European retailers from unfair competition. With millions of parcels a day, the EU decided it was time for the consumer to pay a little more and for the controls to be tighter.

For the Macedonian buyer the story is a little different, but no less relevant. Macedonia isn't in the EU, so this charge hits us directly only if we order through European warehouses or via delivery that passes through the Union. Still, when a step like this is taken by the largest market on the continent, it's a signal - the "borderless cheap from China" model is closing down, and it's only a matter of time before our own state considers a similar move.

The conclusion is sober: cheap was never really free. Someone always paid the difference - the local shops that can't compete, the workers at the other end of the chain, or the environment buckling under millions of packages. Three euros a parcel won't destroy Temu and Shein, but they're the first sign that even the biggest players are starting to feel a limit.