According to customs, the introduction of the levy also led to a 53 per cent decrease in the number of small packages arriving at Liège Airport in July 2026 — a key arrival hub for Chinese goods entering Europe — compared to the previous year. There were more large packages than before.
Since 1 July 2026, a fixed customs duty of 3 euros per product category has been levied on e-commerce shipments with a maximum value of 150 euros sent from outside the European Union. The temporary measure is planned to last until 1 July 2028.
“The initial results indicate that we are on the right track,” said Finance Minister Jan Jambon on Thursday in Liège.
The revenue will primarily be used to strengthen customs controls. Between 2026 and 2029, the federal government will invest in hiring additional customs officers and acquiring specialised inspection equipment.
The initial translation of this content was generated by AI. All facts, context, and language have subsequently been verified and validated by a human editorial team.
Read more