As of today, ordering from China is no longer as cheap as it was yesterday. The European Union has scrapped duty-free import for parcels under 150 euros, and every declared item now carries a flat charge of 3 euros. Not per package - per item. Five identical T-shirts are 3 euros, but one T-shirt, one bag, and one pair of shoes are 9 euros right away.

For the millions who order small stuff through Chinese platforms, this is the end of an era. A bill that used to come to a few euros suddenly gains a surcharge often worth as much as the product itself. And there's the 25 percent value-added tax on top, unchanged and charged separately - either at purchase or on delivery.

Why did Brussels decide to close this valve right now? The number says it all: last year 5.9 billion low-value parcels entered the EU duty-free - around 16 million a day, over 90 percent of them from China. When one door lets through that much goods without a single cent of duty, it's clear why domestic retailers and institutions started complaining loudly.

The timing of the order matters too. Parcels ordered before July 1 dodge the charge only if they clear customs before that date - so simply having shipped isn't a guarantee. Goods sent from warehouses inside the EU stay exempt, since they don't count as an import from a third country. A detail the big platforms are already using to keep prices low.

And this is only the beginning. By November 1, 2026, an additional per-item handling fee will be introduced, its amount not yet set. The 3-euro duty itself is temporary, until July 1, 2028, until the EU builds a new digital customs platform. In other words, the consumer pays now, while the system meant to justify it is still being built. A familiar formula for anyone living in the Balkans - the fee first, then the service you're supposedly paying for.