Since 1 July 2026, a flat customs duty of 3 euros applies to every small parcel worth less than 150 euros imported from outside the European Union. The measure primarily targets Chinese platforms, Shein, Temu and AliExpress in particular. A month on, the first figures show a real but limited effect, and open a communication window for Belgian retailers.
1. What changed on 1 July
The tax, in force until 1 July 2028, charges a flat 3 euros on every small parcel imported from a third country. It targets a sizeable flow: more than 1.3 billion parcels landed on the Liège Airport tarmac alone in 2025, driven by online shopping from China. In one month, the measure raised 42.5 million euros for the Belgian treasury.
2. A real effect, already being worked around
Belgian customs recorded around 35% fewer small-parcel declarations in July compared with the previous year, roughly 1.26 million fewer parcels. But at the same time, parcels worth more than 150 euros rose by 10%, a sign that some platforms now bundle several products into a single shipment to clear that threshold. Shein and Temu are also building huge warehouses within the European Union, letting them import in bulk by the container load and then deliver retail without the tax. For Becom, the Belgian e-commerce federation, the measure remains a first step: only 0.006% of parcels are currently inspected by customs officers, and in Liège, 30% of inspected products turn out not to comply with European standards.
3. The opening for Belgian retailers
For a Belgian SME selling online, this period is a communication window, not just a tax matter. The public debate around Chinese parcels, non-compliant, poorly checked, with unpredictable delivery times, brings back into focus arguments many local retailers had pushed to the background: stock held in Belgium or Europe, fast delivery with no bad surprise on arrival, products that meet CE standards. At a moment when price alone no longer convinces, these arguments deserve a more visible place in campaigns and on product pages.
The AI lens, humans first
An AI assistant can continuously monitor the prices and delivery times shown by competing platforms, and flag the moments when your offer becomes competitive. But deciding how to reposition a commercial message around reliability rather than price alone, and choosing the right arguments for each audience, remains an expert's judgment call. AI executes the competitive watch. Expertise decides the positioning, and adjusts it as the rules evolve.
This week
Review your product pages and ads: do they highlight your local stock, your real delivery times, and your compliance with European standards? If these elements are nowhere to be seen, now is the time to add them.
With Vistalaro Build, we optimise your site and product pages to highlight what sets you apart from a direct import: stock, delivery times, compliance. With Vistalaro Reach, we adapt your Meta, Google and TikTok campaigns to carry that message to an audience that is comparing prices today, not just yours.
Does your offer hold up against direct imports?
We look at your positioning and your campaigns together, no jargon.
Let's talk- L'Avenir, Small-parcel tax: the state collects 42.5 million euros, but is the influx really slowing?
- RetailDetail BE, The parcel tax slows small shipments, but Chinese platforms are adapting fast
- L'Avenir, The Belgian e-commerce federation sees the parcel tax as a "first step towards fairer competition"