How much will you pay extra for orders on Temu and Shein from July 1st. Concrete examples of calculation
Romanians who order products from platforms such as Temu, Shein or other stores outside the European Union already pay, from January 1, 2026, a national logistics tax, and starting from July 1, 2026, the new European customs rules apply, which leads to an increase in the final cost for low-value parcels.
The “Temu tax” can reach 70 lei from July 1. Archive photo
From January 1, 2026, Romania applies a fixed logistics fee of 25 lei for each non-EU parcel under 150 euros, and from July 1, 2026, the exemption from customs duties at the level of the European Union for these shipments is eliminated and a transitory customs fee of 3 euros is introduced for each distinct category of product in the parcel. In certain situations, these costs are cumulative.
In this context, EY Romania specialists show that “the new rules change the structure of the total import cost for low-value parcels, by introducing fixed and cumulative components that reduce the price advantage of extra-EU trade”.
Logistics fee of 25 lei: mechanism already applied in Romania
From January 1, 2026, a fixed fee of 25 lei is applied in Romania for each package that comes from outside the European Union and has a declared value of less than 150 euros.
The tax applies regardless of the country of entry into the Union, in order to limit the artificial optimization of delivery routes. The measure covers all shipments destined for the Romanian market and aims to balance the competition between local traders and international platforms.
The payment obligation rests, depending on the case, on the supplier, the sender or the sales platform, but the actual collection is carried out by the postal operators and couriers who deliver the goods in Romania. They have the obligation to identify the taxable parcels, verify the declared data and transfer the amounts to the state budget by the 25th of the following month.
In practice, logistics operators manage a high volume of additional checks, including the use of the simplified customs declaration H7 and the retention of records for five years. Failure to comply with the obligations may attract fines of up to 10,000 lei.
Elimination of customs exemption in the EU and the 3 euro tax
From July 1, 2026, the exemption from customs duties for low-value parcels under 150 euros from third countries is eliminated at the European Union level.
Until the full implementation of the new European digital customs system, estimated for 2028, a transitional regime applies: a fixed fee of 3 euros for each distinct category of product in the parcel.
The tax is not applied once per parcel, but for each tariff category identified within it. Thus, a package may generate more taxes depending on the diversity of the products.
For example, if a package contains one silk blouse and two woolen blouses, they fall into two different categories and the total fee is 6 euros. “It is relevant that this tax is not applied once per parcel, but per distinct product category identified by the tariff sub-category. Thus, resuming the example used in the EU Council communique, if a package contains a silk blouse and two wool blouses, the package includes two different tariff categories, and the tax due reaches 6 euros, not 3 euros“, the experts explained.
According to the European Commission, in 2024 approximately 4.6 billion small parcels entered the EU market, equivalent to approximately 12 million shipments per day and twice as much as in the previous year. In this context, the European authorities considered a transitional solution necessary to strengthen control and reduce the pressure exerted on the customs mechanisms until the full implementation of the customs reform.
How taxes are accumulated in Romania
For parcels delivered in Romania after July 1, 2026, the logistics fee of 25 lei and the customs fee of 3 euros can be applied cumulatively, because they have different legal nature, explain the experts in taxes and international trade of EY Romania.
Guide for couriers: How and until the “Temu tax” of 25 lei must be paid and how much the fines amount to
According to them, in the case of mixed parcels, the European customs tax is not applied once to the entire package, but separately for each product category identified inside the parcel. In other words, the customs authorities are not only looking at “a parcel”, but at the types of goods inside, falling into different tariff categories.
For example, if a package contains clothes and accessories, they can be classified into separate categories, and a fixed fee of 3 euros applies to each category. Thus, a parcel with two different types of products will generate two separate charges, and one with three types of products will generate three charges.
In contrast, the logistics fee of 25 lei in Romania does not depend on the contents of the package, but is applied only once for each individual package, regardless of whether it contains one or more products or how many tariff categories are identified.
Calculation examples
Simple parcel
Value: 40 euros
Logistics fee: 25 lei
Customs duty: 3 euros
Total additional cost: approximately 40–45 lei
Mixed package with two categories
Example: one silk blouse and two wool blouses
Customs duty: 6 euros
Logistics fee: 25 lei
Total additional cost: approximately 55–60 lei
Package with three categories
Customs duty: 9 euros
Logistics fee: 25 lei
Total additional cost: approximately 70–75 lei
Why the measures were introduced
Both Romania and the European Union justify the new rules by the need to correct the imbalances created by the accelerated growth of extra-EU online trade.
In recent years, billions of low-value parcels have entered the European market, putting pressure on customs systems and creating a competitive advantage for non-EU platforms.
The new taxes aim to reduce these distortions, increase traceability and limit the risks of undervaluation or incorrect declaration of goods.
Impact on consumers and traders
For consumers, the effect is already visible in the increase in the final cost of non-EU orders, either through the inclusion of taxes in the price displayed on the platforms or through additional delivery costs.
The trap at the end of the order: Temu adds a fee of 25 lei at the time of payment by card, when buyers can no longer cancel the transaction
For e-commerce platforms, the changes involve the adjustment of pricing systems, product classification and the relationship with logistics operators.
For couriers and postal operators, the new rules imply an increase in operational complexity, from parcel verification to customs and tax reporting.
The “Temu Tax” and the new European rules for small parcels mark a structural change in international online trade. The regime of cheap parcels, with minimal or no customs costs, is gradually closing, and the focus is shifting to compliance, traceability and competitive balance.
Beyond the budget impact, the real stake is rebalancing competition, increasing traceability and strengthening control over flows that have grown exponentially in recent years. “For players involved in e-commerce and logistics, the coming period will be less about marginal adaptations and more about recalibrating operational and business models“, say the experts, adding that, in this context, companies should carefully follow the legislative and administrative developments in Romania and at the EU level, including the possible additional measures discussed within the framework of the European customs reform. For those who operate large volumes of deliveries, the issue is no longer just one of cost, but of compliance and sustainability of the business model.
