Customs and taxes on orders from China: EU, US and UK
Updated Oct 2026 · 6 min read
Customs and taxes on orders from China in 2026: EU import VAT and the new €3 duty, German carrier fees, the end of US de minimis and the UK £135 rule.
Customs rules for parcels from China changed a lot in 2025 and 2026. Here is what you pay, who collects it and what tax free lines actually do, as of October 2026. This is general information from official sources, not legal or tax advice.
The short version
- EU: import VAT from the first euro, and since 1 July 2026 customs duty on parcels under €150 too.
- Germany: 19% import VAT on clothing and shoes, plus €7.50 from Deutsche Post or DHL if you pay at the door.
- US: de minimis is suspended, postal parcels need duties prepaid.
- UK: up to £135, VAT is in the price and most goods pay no duty.
- Tax free lines pay these charges up front for you.
EU: import VAT and the new €3 customs duty
Until 30 June 2026, parcels up to €150 were free of customs duty in the EU. Since 1 July 2026, a temporary flat duty of €3 per item applies to low value consignments up to €150 sold to consumers from outside the EU. It runs until 1 July 2028 and can be extended.
"Item" doesn't mean piece. It means a tariff line: goods sharing the same customs classification and description. The European Commission's example: 5 T-shirts are 1 item (€3), a T-shirt plus a watch are 2 items (€6).
zoll.de says the €3 rate applies to certain consignments up to €150, and all others up to €150 pay the normal duty rate. Either way, there is no duty free band under €150 anymore. Whether agent parcels qualify for the €3 rate isn't clear, so don't plan around it.
Import VAT applies from the first euro at your country's rate. Above €150, duty is charged on the goods plus transport to the EU border, around 12% for clothing, and VAT on top of that. A separate EU handling fee per parcel is proposed, with amount and date still open at the time of writing.
Germany: what you pay at the door
The carrier usually handles customs clearance, pays the charges up front and collects them from you on delivery, plus its own service fee. For Deutsche Post and DHL that's €7.50 per parcel, according to Verbraucherzentrale. Couriers set their own fees.
Import VAT (Einfuhrumsatzsteuer) is 19% for clothing and shoes, on customs value plus duty. zoll.de's example: 4 pairs of socks pay €3, socks plus a plush toy plus a phone cable pay €9. This applies to everything imported since 1 July 2026, even if you ordered earlier. Here is one cheap order, from a steuertipps.de example:
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Summer dress | €14.79 |
| Flat customs duty | €3.00 |
| Import VAT (19%) | €3.38 |
| DHL service fee | €7.50 |
| Total at the door | €28.67 |
Almost double the item price, mostly from fixed fees. That's why buyers in the EU ship on tax free lines and bundle items into one parcel.
If customs data is missing or wrong, the parcel goes to your local customs office (Zollamt) and Deutsche Post sends a letter. You can then clear it online from home.
Budget finds worth bundling
- Bal Tracksuit Blue ¥178, about $25
- Anovair Striped Polo Shirt ¥159, about $22
- OC Running Vest ¥118, about $17
- MM Knit Sweater ¥160, about $22
United States: de minimis is gone
De minimis, the duty free entry for parcels up to $800, ended for China and Hong Kong on 2 May 2025 and for every country on 29 August 2025. Since 24 July 2026, CBP rules suspend it indefinitely. Mail parcels up to $2,500 use a new postal informal entry, and duties are not collected on delivery, so in practice postal parcels need duties prepaid.
China origin goods also face Section 301 tariffs on top of normal duty, and trade advisers report a new one from 24 July 2026. US tariffs changed several times in 2025 and 2026, so check CBP for current rates. Courier lines like UPS, DHL or FedEx usually bill you on delivery, often with a brokerage fee. Tax free lines prepay.
United Kingdom: the £135 rule
For goods worth £135 or less that you bought yourself, gov.uk says VAT is included in what you paid, and most goods pay no customs duty. Above £135 you pay VAT and duty to the delivery company, and unpaid parcels go back after about 3 weeks. The £135 duty relief is set to end in October 2028, according to reports on a June 2026 government announcement.
Canada and Australia
- Canada: by mail, duties and taxes apply above CAD $20, and Canada Post adds a handling fee on taxable items. Couriers have exemptions at CAD $20, $40 or $150, with conditions.
- Australia: up to A$1,000, the 10% GST is charged at the point of sale, by the seller, the platform or a registered forwarder. Above that you pay GST, duty and clearance charges at the border.
What tax free lines actually mean
On a tax free or duty prepaid line, the logistics company declares the parcel and pays the import charges, and the agent prices that in. Superbuy's fee page shows a CN¥38 customs clearance fee inside a 1 kg tax free UPS line. You normally pay nothing at the door.
It isn't a guarantee, and it changes nothing about what customs allows in. Superbuy says it can't control delays, confiscation or taxes caused by carriers or customs. The declared value is your agent's customs declaration and should match what you paid. Compare lines on the shipping estimator and read shipping lines explained for weight and delivery times.
Items with brand logos: will my parcel get seized?
Customs can detain and destroy parcels with copied brand logos. In the EU, Regulation 608/2013 covers postal and courier parcels; only goods in travelers' personal luggage are excluded. For small parcels (up to 3 units or under 2 kg), customs can destroy suspected fakes, and if you don't object within 10 working days of being notified, that can count as agreement.
In Germany, zoll.de says buying even a single fake item for private use counts as commercial trade if it was ordered online. Personal use doesn't protect an online order. In practice, buyers usually lose the parcel.
US CBP says it seizes millions of counterfeit goods every year, and Canada's CBSA takes enforcement action when it finds prohibited goods. A tax free line doesn't change any of this.
Jackets worth a tax free line
- PD Double Face Jacket Grey Brown ¥599, about $84
- Sup Half-Zip Jacket ¥456, about $64
- Arc Jacket Goretex ¥329, about $46
- Acn Wool Double Face Jacket ¥479, about $67
Pick a tax free line, bundle your haul and fill it with finds worth it. Browse all finds
Questions?
Do I pay customs on a parcel from China in 2026?
In the EU almost always: import VAT applies from the first euro and the duty free limit under €150 ended on 1 July 2026. On a tax free line those charges are paid up front. On a normal line the carrier bills you on delivery.
What is the €3 customs duty?
A temporary EU flat duty of €3 per item on parcels up to €150, from 1 July 2026 to 1 July 2028. An item is a tariff line, so 5 T-shirts count as one item.
How much does DHL charge for customs in Germany?
€7.50 per parcel on top of duty and import VAT, according to Verbraucherzentrale. On a tax free line you normally don't pay this at the door.
Will my haul get seized by customs?
Items with copied brand logos can be detained and destroyed in the EU, the US and elsewhere, and buyers usually lose the parcel. A tax free line doesn't change that.
Our picks for your next haul
- ERD Leather Belt ¥639, about $89
- MVT Gats Light Blue ¥409, about $57
- MVT Gats Oreo ¥309, about $43
- CH Long Sleeve White ¥188, about $26
- Stu Classic Jeans ¥231, about $32
- Stu Jean Shorts ¥207, about $29
- NK Three Color Sport Suit ¥180, about $25
- Project Shorts ¥198, about $28