From 1 November 2026, the European Union (EU) is charging a handling fee of 2 euros, or 1.85 francs, on parcels imported from third countries, including Switzerland. For Swiss e-commerce, this fee comes on top of the 3-euro tax on small consignments in force since July. Online shops that deliver to customers in the EU are affected, according to a Keystone-ATS dispatch published by SWI swissinfo.ch on 31 October 2026.
What changes for a Swiss online shop
The new fee is calculated per product category, not per item. A shipment of 20 T-shirts therefore pays 2 euros. A shipment of ten T-shirts, two caps and an umbrella pays 6 euros, according to the examples given by Keystone-ATS. The calculation follows the way the goods are declared at customs.
When sending a parcel to the EU, the make-up of the basket therefore matters more than the number of pieces. For the same number of items, a varied order spread over three categories costs three times as much as a batch of a single type of product.
The free trade agreement does not protect Swiss shipments. Swiss Post, the national postal operator, states on its website that the fees apply "regardless of the free trade agreement between Switzerland and the EU". They affect all parcels imported into the EU.
Who pays the new fee
The EU decision designates the platforms, not consumers. It is they who must pay the fee and complete the other customs formalities. In the event of an infringement, a company faces a fine of up to 6% of the annual value of its imports.
The end customer is therefore not the designated payer. The dispatch does not say, however, whether sellers will absorb the fee or pass it on in their prices.
EU customs charges: two levies that add up
The 2 euros from November do not replace the July tax: they are added to it. The table sets out what the source specifies for each of the two levies.
| Tax on small consignments | Handling fee | |
|---|---|---|
| Amount | 3 euros | 2 euros (1.85 francs) |
| In force since | July 2026 | 1 November 2026 |
| Shipments covered | shipments from third countries worth up to 150 euros | all parcels imported into the EU |
| Basis of calculation | not specified in the source | per declared product category |
| Duration | two years, until July 2028 | not specified in the source |
| Designated payer | not specified in the source | the platforms |
The handling fee is part of a broader EU customs reform. According to Keystone-ATS, this reform is due to enter into force in November 2026.
Which Swiss e-commerce shops are most exposed
For the sector as a whole, the effect should remain limited. Patrick Erny, director of the Swiss Retail Federation, the umbrella association of Swiss retail, considers it "minimal". He attributes this to Swiss retailers' strong focus on the domestic market.
Two types of retailer would be harder hit, in his view. He cites niche retailers that deliver directly to many consumers in the EU. He also cites sellers of cheap products with low-value baskets, because the fees weigh more heavily on their turnover.
For an SME selling online to the EU, the logic is simple: a fixed amount per category weighs more on a small order than on a large one. The way the catalogue is split into customs categories also becomes a cost factor.
An effect that is still hard to measure
Views differ on the effect of the 3-euro tax. Since its introduction in July, imports of small consignments into the EU have fallen by 64%, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Brussels, however, considers it too early to draw conclusions. This decline concerns all shipments to the EU, not just Swiss parcels.
On the Swiss side, no figures yet allow a firm conclusion. According to Patrick Erny, the available foreign trade statistics do not make it possible to draw conclusions on the consequences of the 3-euro tax for retail. He too considers the effect minimal.
The latest figures from the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) illustrate this limitation. Swiss exports in September 2026 rose by 1.5% to 23.2 billion francs. But these data cover all foreign trade, led by chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and do not break down e-commerce parcels.
The head of Swiss Post, for his part, said on 3 October 2026, according to SWI swissinfo.ch, that the EU tax would not slow down Chinese retailers. 2clics has already published an article on the effects of the tax on small parcels for Swiss Post.
Why the EU is introducing this fee
The volume of small consignments is putting European customs under pressure. According to the European Commission, just under 5.9 billion small consignments entered the EU in 2025, or just over 16 million a day. This trade goes mainly through Chinese platforms such as Shein and Temu.
Patrick Erny sees this as a challenge shared by many countries. He points to the rapid rise in direct imports via marketplaces in third countries that do not comply with national product safety rules.
A comparable levy in Switzerland?
The question also arises in Switzerland. As early as March 2026, the Swiss Retail Federation was calling on the federal government to follow the EU's example, SWI swissinfo.ch reported on 27 March 2026.
In June 2026, the Federal Council opened a consultation on a revision of the Federal Act on Product Safety. Its draft is largely inspired by EU law. It provides additional resources for more intensive and highly digitalised online market surveillance. A surveillance levy could be charged on direct shipments from abroad.
Nothing has been decided yet. The consultation closed in September 2026. If the Federal Council still sees a need for action, it will submit a dispatch to Parliament.
The debate overlaps with that on trade with China. The modernised Switzerland–China free trade agreement, signed in Beijing on 30 October 2026, still has to be approved by Parliament.
What we don't know yet
- Whether Swiss shops will pass the fees on in their prices: the source does not say.
- Who the liable "platform" is when a Swiss SME sells directly from its own website: the dispatch does not specify.
- How long the 2-euro fee will apply: unlike the 3-euro tax, no end date is mentioned.
- The real effect on Swiss sales to the EU: according to Patrick Erny, the available statistics do not yet allow any conclusion.
- Whether Switzerland will introduce its own levy: this depends on the dispatch that the Federal Council may send to Parliament.
Sources
- SWI swissinfo.ch (Keystone-SDA): "New EU customs duties for Swiss parcels", 31 October 2026
