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EU To Apply Temporary €3 Duty On Low-Value Imports From Non-EU Countries

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

July 3, 2026

The European Union has begun applying a temporary customs duty of €3 per item on small parcels valued at up to €150 imported from third countries, in a move designed to curb unfair competition and tighten safety checks on e-commerce products.

A Temporary Measure Ahead Of A Wider Customs Overhaul

The levy, which took effect on 1 July, will remain in place until 2028, when the EU expects to complete a broader reform of its customs system. The policy primarily affects purchases from major Asian marketplaces such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress, although it may also apply to orders from other non-EU markets, including the United States and the United Kingdom, depending on the supplier.

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How The Duty Is Calculated

The €3 charge is applied per product type within each parcel. In practical terms, that means a single order containing different categories of goods is taxed separately for each category.

For example, a parcel containing a shirt and a pair of shoes would face a total duty of €6. If the package contains multiple units of the same item, however, the charge remains €3 for that product type.

In another case, a parcel with four different products could incur €12 in duties alone. Larger baskets with multiple item categories could therefore see the final bill rise significantly before value-added tax is added.

Why Brussels Is Acting Now

The measure is aimed at the rapid growth in small cross-border e-commerce shipments arriving from outside the EU. In recent years, these flows have surged into the billions of parcels annually, with the majority originating in China.

According to the European Union, the previous regime of zero customs duties on parcels worth up to €150 created unfair conditions for European businesses, while also limiting the ability of authorities to carry out effective safety and compliance checks.

Officials also warn that many parcels entered the market with inaccurate value declarations or without sufficient scrutiny, increasing the risk of non-compliant or potentially dangerous products reaching consumers.

What It Means For Consumers And Platforms

Consumers should expect higher total costs on online purchases, particularly for low-value orders. A €20 basket, for instance, could easily climb above €25 or €30 depending on how many different products it includes.

In some cases, additional handling fees may be introduced later as part of the EU’s wider customs reform. For now, the main question is how platforms will respond: they may either absorb the cost or pass it on to shoppers.

Many large e-commerce providers already operate through the IOSS system, which streamlines the collection of VAT and duties at checkout.

The Next Phase Of Reform

The temporary duty is only one piece of a larger overhaul. The EU is also working to abolish the €150 threshold and replace it with a unified digital customs framework by 2028.

Under the new model, e-commerce platforms would be treated as “deemed importers,” taking on greater legal responsibility for the safety and compliance of the products they sell into the European market.

Aims: Fairer Competition And Stronger Protection

European authorities say the reform is intended both to protect consumers and to create a more level playing field for European companies.

Just as important, it is expected to make customs controls more efficient by reducing the volume of individual low-value parcels and improving the authorities’ ability to identify non-compliant goods at the border.

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Europe’s Deadly Summer Heat Exposed The Cost Of A Warming Continent

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

October 23, 2026

Europe experienced its deadliest summer for heat-related deaths on record in 2026, with an estimated 24,400 excess deaths linked to extreme temperatures across 30 countries. Researchers estimate that human-induced climate change was responsible for around 32,000 of the deaths attributed to heat in the study’s broader analysis, accounting for 65% of the total.

The findings highlight the growing public-health consequences of global warming, largely driven by fossil fuel use, as extreme heat becomes more frequent and severe.

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A Summer Of Dangerous Heat

Between June and August, heatwaves pushed temperatures in Western Europe to an average of 2.9°C above the 1991–2020 norm, with some days reaching 12°C above average. Nearly a third of estimated heat-related deaths occurred during a particularly intense heatwave between 17 June and 1 July.

“These numbers are a stark reminder that our hotter, more extreme summers are having an increasingly severe impact on public health,” said Dr Clair Barnes, a researcher at Imperial College London and co-author of the study.

The estimated toll exceeded previous peaks of around 29,000 deaths in summer 2022 and 28,000 in 2003 across the region studied.

How Researchers Estimated The Toll

Researchers modelled the relationship between temperature and mortality across 854 urban areas in the EU, UK, Norway and Switzerland, covering around 40% of the population in the 30 countries studied.

The analysis incorporated temperature records, age, socioeconomic conditions, environmental factors and access to healthcare. By comparing actual temperatures with those expected without human-induced warming, the team estimated the additional deaths attributable to climate change.

Final official mortality figures for summer 2026 are not yet available in many countries, and heat-related deaths are often underreported because their effects can be difficult to identify directly.

Older People Face The Greatest Risk

People aged 85 and over accounted for roughly half of the estimated deaths. However, the impact extended across age groups, with around 800 excess deaths among adults aged 20–44 and approximately 6,000 among people under 65.

Southern Europe experienced the highest mortality burden, reflecting hotter temperatures and other vulnerabilities, including air pollution, limited green space and unequal access to healthcare and heat-alert systems.

Italy, France And Spain Record Highest Toll

Italy recorded an estimated 13,303 heat-related excess deaths, followed by France with 7,268 and Spain with 6,824. Germany recorded around 6,340, while the UK saw an estimated 4,354 deaths.

In the UK, the heat also placed significant pressure on healthcare services. Andrew Hartle, Professor of Practice of Anaesthesia at Imperial College Healthcare, said demand during the summer resembled that of a severe winter virus season.

Cities Urged To Strengthen Heat Protection

Researchers say cities can reduce the risks through climate shelters, external shading and building retrofits, alongside measures to help residents avoid exposure during the hottest hours. Checking on vulnerable people, staying hydrated and following heat alerts are also important.

The researchers stress that adaptation must go hand in hand with reducing fossil fuel use to limit further warming. The findings underline that extreme heat is already a major public-health threat across Europe, with thousands of lives at risk each summer.