The customs tax that the European Union levies on small parcels from third countries has effects in Switzerland as well. According to a Keystone‑SDA dispatch published on 3 October 2026 by SWI swissinfo.ch, the number of parcels sent by Swiss Post to the EU has fallen by a double‑digit percentage. The source does not provide a more precise figure.

What the EU decided

According to the dispatch, two separate measures target imports into the EU from third countries, including Switzerland:

  • A flat customs duty of €3 per item, in place since July. In principle, sellers or importers pay it. Some merchants pass it on to consumers by raising their prices.
  • European administrative fees, applicable from 1st November. Online marketplaces such as Shein, Temu and AliExpress will have to pay them. The source does not disclose the amount.

According to the dispatch, these measures aim to curb the influx of cheap parcels. The source neither cites nor links the EU legal text that underpins them, and does not specify which EU institution adopted them. This article therefore sticks to what it reports.

Swiss Post director’s statements

Pascal Grieder, presented by the source as director of Swiss Post, commented on the situation in an interview with Schweiz am Wochenende. His remarks are assessments, not established facts:

  • Switzerland was not specifically targeted by these decisions, but they also affect Swiss exporters, he notes.
  • He expects a gradual return to normal: “Things should normalise gradually,” he says. According to him, this is what happened in the United States, where a similar tax initially had an even stronger effect.
  • He doubts that “the goal of protecting the market against Chinese imports will be achieved.” He explains that companies such as the low‑price Chinese retailer Temu are setting up large warehouses in Europe to evade the tax.

Parcel volumes in Switzerland

The dispatch also provides some figures on Swiss Post’s activity:

  • Swiss Post processes today 100 million more parcels per year than ten years ago.
  • 60 million parcels come from large European suppliers, 20 million from small businesses and 20 million from China. The source does not specify whether this breakdown refers to the increase of 100 million or to another base.
  • Over ten years, the share of Chinese parcels rose from 6% to 11% of total volume.

Sources